Staying Home
by katnisssullen
Summary: It's been nearly two months since Link decided to remain in Hyrule, pushing his ambitions away in order to stay with Queen Zelda. Already struggling with his own duties as a soldier of Hyrule, how could he ever convince Zelda that loved ones must sometimes come before work? And how can he keep her happy, when he already feels her slipping from his grasp? Sequel to Eye of the Storm.
1. Chocolate Persuasion

A/N: So, uh... here's the second part. I know, I know... this rolled out rather quickly. Well, my pace of work is fairly inconsistent, if you hadn't noticed. Don't judge me. Anyway, this story takes place almost two months after Eye of the Storm. If you haven't read the first story, then... I suppose it doesn't make a difference. Just know that Zelda and Link are lovey-dovey, Link is living in the castle as a soldier, and Impa actually exists in my story. Also, I write this on my iPod, so try not to be TOO harsh about grammatical errors (seriously, it's brutal, sometimes). But I do hope that you enjoy this story, even if you found the previous one to be utterly lame. Enjoy! ^.^

Chapter 1

"It's absolutely miserable," the young man grumbled, crossing his arms as his breath froze in the night air.

Impa rolled her eyes, having a quick glance around the courtyard before quickly pulling up her collar and wiping her nose. "I don't know what you're talking about; it hasn't even snowed, yet..."

He rolled his eyes. "No, not the weather. You know what. It's about her."

The woman's eyes hardened slightly, and she shivered, a few strands of gray hair having fallen in front of her vision. "It isn't miserable," she replied curtly, sniffling, "she isn't miserable. The situation's a bit miserable, but it's nothing new."

Link shook his head. "I don't see how she couldn't feel miserable. Not like she does anything else all day... don't think she's even come outside, lately. Too busy, as always..."

Impa looked up at the sky, wrinkling her nose when she noticed a few clouds rolling in steadily. "It might be warmer if the sun wasn't always blocked..." she remarked bitterly, slouching.

"Why don't we talk inside, then?"

The older woman shrugged. "It was your idea to come outside."

"I just needed some fresh air. You didn't have to come with me, you know."

She snorted. "I think 'fresh' is debatable. My lungs are gonna freeze before we make it inside, at this rate..."

"Let's get inside, then," he insisted, turning to face the entrance to the castle. "You know, before your lungs freeze."

Impa furrowed her brow, following the young man inside. They both instantly relaxed when they stepped inside and the guards closed the doors behind them, the torches on the walls filling the room with warmth. "You want something to drink?" she asked, rubbing her hands together. "I already started making hot chocolate..."

"I'll have some," he answered, nodding slightly. "Thanks."

"And you can take some up to her, too," Impa pointed out, turning towards one of the doors that lead towards the kitchen.

He bit his cheek, muttering something unintelligible as he slowly trailed behind her into the kitchen. Once he got there, Impa was already busy fixing the hot chocolate, barely noticing his presence.

Link leaned on the counter, dully resting his head in his hands. "Need any help?"

She shook her head, mixing something together in a pot. "Almost done, anyway... could you grab some cups, though?"

The young man nodded. "Sure thing," he replied, walking over to the cupboard near the counter. He stood on his toes, reaching up to the top shelf and carefully pulling down three mugs. He set them on the counter beside the pot, and she ladled some of the liquid into the mugs.

"Don't drink it immediately like last time," she advised him, to which he rolled his eyes. "Unless, of course, you'd care to burn off your taste buds again."

"I know," he responded, nodding as he grabbed two mugs and set them on a tray, being careful not to spill the scalding-hot liquid. "Thanks again, Impa."

"You're welcome," she replied monotonously, picking up her mug and sloshing the beverage around a bit.

Silently, Link exited the kitchen, carrying the tray as he crossed through the foyer of the castle. He was greeted by the guards outside the door leading to one of the hallways, to which he smiled, waving good-naturedly as he passed by. He sighed tiredly, balancing the tray as he ascended one of the many flights of stairs.

Link rolled his eyes. Climbing up and down the stairs all day was good exercise, sure, but it was easily the most tedious thing he had to do all day.  
Every single day.

Lost in thought, he almost walked straight past the narrow corridor he was supposed to go down. But he stopped quickly, turning sharply and almost spilling the hot chocolate as he continued down the hallway. After climbing up yet another flight of stairs, he finally arrived in another, wider hallway and steadily approached the door at the end of it. He blew into his drink, trying to cool it down a bit as he loudly knocked on the door.

"Oh!" he heard a familiar, slightly startled voice exclaim from the room behind the door. "C-Come in, please!"

He twisted the handle of the door, quietly pushing it open and taking a sip out of one of the mugs. He flinched, nearly spitting out the drink when he realized that it was still boiling-hot. Link glanced over at Zelda, whose eyes lit up instantly when she realized who it was.

"Link," she spoke up, a smile quickly spreading across her face as she rose from the desk that she was sitting at. "I wasn't expecting you..."

"Impa made hot chocolate, so I thought you might want some."

"It looks delicious," the young queen remarked, beaming at him as he set the tray on the desk. She bit her tongue in thought for a moment, scooting the mugs away from the stack of papers on the desk.

Link exhaled through his nose, pursing his lips. After a moment, he cleared his throat, smiling as he took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"You should take a break," he muttered into her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Zelda furrowed her brow and turned around, still encircled in his arms. "I just..." she started, biting her cheek, "I-I have a lot of work to do, Link... I mean, this is a completely new thing that we're working on, and I have a lot to get done..."

"It's still reconstruction, though; it's not THAT new..."

"It's a new phase of the reconstruction process," she pointed out, frowning slightly as she gazed into his eyes. "These types of projects take time, Link."

"So take the time to do it, later," he tried to persuade her, resting his forehead against hers. "You have all the time in the world. And I think you've been working too hard, lately; you need a break. Why don't you just come downstairs, and you, Impa, and I can all cool down for a minute or two?" He leaned forward, planting a small kiss on her lips.

She managed a smile. "Your lips taste like hot chocolate."

He shrugged. "All the more reason why you should take what I say into consideration."

The young queen stifled a laugh, though her eyes still seemed to be a bit worried. "I... there's a lot of paperwork that goes into it, Link, and I-I have a meeting tomorrow morning, so I want to try and get as much sleep as I can..."

"You don't need to finish all the paperwork before the meeting, though, right?"

"It'd give me a head start," she answered, pursing her lips.

"I can always help you out, you know. It wouldn't be such a crime to have someone help... what's the paperwork for, anyway?"

"It covers mostly everything concerning the area that's to be reconstructed," she responded, nodding curtly. "Costs, mostly, but it also extensively goes over local disturbances that the project could create- mostly possible noise complaints from nearby residents- while it also gives a sample list of materials that would be needed for the project, which I also have to provide..." She trailed off, realizing that she'd been rambling. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it's immensely boring to you..."

He shrugged. "I've sat through worse. Why does it take so long?"

Zelda's face practically deflated. "For multiple reasons. Partially because, of all of the reading portions combined, it's like reading a full-length novel. But mostly it takes so long because, in between reading, I have to deal with material costs, which means that I have to make a list of absolutely everything needed, then check in with the teams previously organized to work on the projects to see what required materials are already in our possession. If we're lacking in one of the materials or just don't have it in the first place, then the money comes straight out of my funds and I have to personally order everything we need, which further delays the project, and..." She stopped again, rubbing her forehead. "I'll stop talking, now. You understand."

"I could run some errands for you, you know. It's pretty much my job. In fact, if it means that you'd take a break for a while and come hang out downstairs with Impa and I, then I'd gladly take it upon myself to help out."

She lowered her gaze. "I wouldn't wish to make more work for you..."

He snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm totally fine with work. I mean, it's pretty boring around here when there isn't any work to do, as it is. So I'll have to insist that you let me help out, then."

The young woman thought to herself for a moment. "I still don't know..."

"Come on," he urged her as he stared at her intently, his eyes soft as he twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. "It'd make Impa happy, too..."

Finally, Zelda caved in.

"...Okay," she agreed, giving him a small smile. "I really should spend some time with the two of you... I feel that I've been neglectful, lately..."

Link shook his head, pulling her closer and pecking her on the cheek. "No, you've just been busy. I'm busy too, you know..."

"...Do I work you too hard? Because you can always tell me to lay off, if it becomes necessary..."

He chuckled, finally letting go of her. "I'm a big kid, Zelda," he answered, crossing his arms. "I can do just fine with a bit of work, you know..."

She shrugged, suppressing a smile. "I appreciate the condescension," she started sarcastically, causing Link to grin, "but I was just asking if it was too much. Seemed polite, but whatever..."

Link laughed again, grabbing onto her hands. "Sorry. But I'm doing just fine, you know. Don't worry about me; worry about yourself. Now, come on- and don't forget your hot chocolate."

The queen nodded, smiling as she turned towards the desk and grabbed both of the mugs from the tray. She handed one to Link, who accepted it and took a sip immediately after.

"It's no wonder why you keep burning your taste buds off," she remarked as they walked side-by-side towards the door.

He smirked. "You sound just like Impa. You sure she's not your real mom?"

"For the fourth time, yes, I'm sure. Would you like for me to take a maternity test to prove it to you?"

"Do they have those?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps they're made for the individual who's simply not able to believe that their birth-parents are telling the truth. I'm pretty sure that the birth mother would know whether or not she's had a baby, though..."

"Maybe Impa lied, Zelda. You never know. You have the same nose, you know, so that could mean something more than you think."

"Or it could mean that our nose shapes are a coincidence, I act as Impa does because she was the one who raised me, and you're over-analyzing."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I just cracked the code. You're welcome, Zelda."

She giggled, leading him down a flight of stairs as she shook her head. "Oh my goodness, Link. You're theories truly are legendary. I'll have to write a book about them, someday."

"I'd read it."

"I'm sure you would."

He grinned, taking another sip of hot chocolate. "Absolutely. So have you been outside, recently?"

Zelda bit her cheek. "Not since yesterday afternoon, for a few minutes. Why do you ask?"

"It's cold."

There was a short silence for a moment before she cracked a grin, and he started to chuckle.

"I guess that's the end of that story," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm so glad that we've resorted to small talk," she replied, nudging him on the arm slightly.

Link smirked. "What do you think we should talk about, then?"

She shrugged. "What do we usually talk about?"

"Work and anything involving small talk. It's no fun, you know? Why don't we talk about how incredible this hot chocolate is?"

"I haven't had any, yet," she answered, pushing open the door leading to the foyer. "I generally don't care to burn off my taste buds..."

The young hero laughed breathily, continuing across the room. "Yeah, yeah... just don't mention it to Impa, alright? She already chewed me out today for tracking dirt into the castle..."

They entered the sitting room where Impa sat on the couch, her back turned to them as she silently drank her hot chocolate.

Zelda knocked on the doorframe, smiling when Impa turned to look at them. "Link convinced me to come downstairs and spend time with you two..."

The older woman wrinkled her nose slightly, glancing over at Link. "You burned your taste buds off already, didn't you?"

He frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because your cup is almost half-empty, even though the hot chocolate hasn't even cooled down, yet."

"Fair point," he added, nodding as he took another drink out of the mug.

Impa scowled. "You're unbearable, you know."

"You've made me this way. I do this out of spite, you know."

"I know. You make me glad Zelda doesn't have any brothers."

He shrugged, plopping down on the couch. "More love to go around."

Zelda smiled as Impa groaned loudly, obviously aggravated. She took a seat between Impa and Link, taking a sip out of her cup. She swallowed hard, wishing she'd waited a few more minutes. "It's wonderful, Impa. What have you been up to, today?"

She shrugged, slouching in her seat. "Nothing groundbreaking, exactly. I mostly had to deal with your boyfriend, which is a chore, but besides that I just sat around and read."

The young queen nodded understandingly, turning to Link. "And you?"

He shook his head. "Nothing too interesting. I was down in the marketplace for a little while this morning before the crowds came around, but most of the afternoon I just paced around the castle." He paused for a moment, staring at Zelda as she sipped her hot chocolate. "Have you even left that office of yours today since you went in there this morning?"

She frowned. "Not at all... but I've made a lot of progress, so far." She sat up tall, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "We're almost ready to send workers to Kakariko Village to begin reconstruction. But then I got to thinking... what would be the point in solely restoring the village to its condition from just before the Invasion? Why not try to restore it to the beautiful, lively village that it used to be, long before all of this?"

"Because that'll take a lot of time, effort, and money that we don't necessarily have," Impa replied plainly, setting her drink down on the end table and crossing her arms.

"We most certainly have the time and money for the operation," she answered in a firm tone. "And as for effort... we already have several workers willing to aid us in the reconstruction process. If we somehow manage to run short, it would be as simple as having an open call for volunteers. I don't see what the issue is."

"Don't you think you might be biting off more than you can chew?" she asked skeptically.

"Not at all," Zelda responded, not lowering her gaze. "It's just a bit more paperwork to go through, some more materials... but if we put forth the extra effort, then we could easily accomplish such a goal."

Impa shrugged. "All the extra effort is going right on your shoulders, Zelda. I think you should put it off because we barely ever get to see you, as it is."

"I-I can always make time for the two of you," she stammered, frowning. "I'm taking a break right now, so that we can all sit and chat for a while. It's not much, but it makes a difference..."

The older woman's eyes flashed for a moment, and she knit her brow. "You want me to be frank, young lady?" she asked, leaning forward. "You need to make an effort not to focus on work all the time."

She bit her lip. "But Impa, I don't mean to-"

"No, you need to make an honest effort, Zelda," she interrupted bitterly, her eyes as cold as ice. "Because I know that you always try to help everyone, and you think that the way to do that is to get all of these projects done at once so that everything's beautiful and everyone's happy, but it won't happen. Rebuilding a village that only had a few residents to begin with won't help anyone, in short term. You try to help your citizens because you're all about helping loved ones and hospitality towards others, and you end up forgetting about the people right in front of your face who love you unconditionally. Have you completely forgotten the fact that Link stayed behind and decided to live in this castle so that he could help your cause?"

The young man furrowed his brow. "Impa, I don't think that it makes any difference." He gazed down at his lap. "I mean... I hate to see Zelda work all day and night, then sleep for a few hours, just to work again in the morning. But, this isn't about me or you. It's for the common interest of everyone in the kingdom..."

Zelda gazed down into her mug, a guilty look in her eyes. "I'm... sorry for being so negligent," she apologized, shaking her head. "But you know that I love both of you, wholeheartedly. I simply... I spent so much time after the Invasion being careless, not bothering to console any of my people when they needed it the most. I owe it to them to show them progress... it simply wouldn't be fair to them, otherwise."

"But you need to stop being so childishly unrealistic with these goals," Impa remarked, not budging. "You're practically an adult, and you need to remember that not everyone can be made happy. You can spend hours upon hours trying to restore every square inch of Hyrule, but you'll never satisfy everybody. If you have all the time in the world to do these things, then there's no reason to rush through them, because the work will never end. Why don't you just wake up for a minute and try to think logically? I thought that was what you did best."

The young woman stared down at the floor, her eyes tired. She rubbed her forehead, setting her hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of them. Zelda was silent for a moment as she slouched forward, her hands knitted together. "...I'm sorry."

Zelda pushed herself off of the sofa, her hands clasped together as she walked towards the door.

Link tried to stand up, only to quickly be interrupted when Impa firmly placed her hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes as Zelda quietly left the room.

"Why would you say something like that to her?" Link asked, glaring at the woman.

"Because it's the only way I'd ever get her to listen to me."

"Because verbal abuse is always the solution, right?"

She pulled her hand away from him. "I'd hardly call it abuse. I'm being realistic, Link. She always gets in way over her head, and then she ends up shattered if anything doesn't turn out right because she has such high hopes. For some inexplicable reason, Zelda turned out to be an optimist, even though she truly has no reason to see any sort of silver-linings. Perhaps I'm harsh, but it's the only way to get through to her."

"Maybe that's why she's always so afraid of what you'll think of her," he muttered, his eyes still narrowed.

Impa scowled for a moment, only to quickly turn her face away from him as a look of pain began to grow in her eyes. Without speaking, she stood up from the couch, exiting the room in the opposite direction that Zelda had gone in.

Frustrated, Link buried his face into his hands, muttering under his breath. He shivered, shaking his head as he grabbed the blanket thrown over the back of the couch behind him and wrapped it around his shoulders as he gazed up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes for a moment, exhausted as he tried to clear his mind.

It wasn't until a few hours later when Link realized that he'd drifted off in the comfort of the blanket. The young man sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes as he stood up from the couch and shook his head, briskly walking over to the door that lead to the foyer. He silently cursed himself out for allowing himself to fall asleep, when he should have gone to make sure that Zelda was okay. He scurried past the guards, who barely had time to greet him before he had already passed them by and entered the hallway.

Going through his usual route, Link ended up in the same room he'd been in previously. He approached the door, which was cracked open, and he quickly pushed it open and stepped inside. He furrowed his brow, noticing that only the candle on the desk was lit, leaving the room very dark. Link stepped towards the desk through the darkness, his eyes softening when he noticed a figure slumped over it, out cold.

He knelt down to Zelda, exhaling through his nose when he noticed her face buried into her arms with her cheek pressed against the desk, sleeping soundlessly.

Pulling the blanket off of himself, he carefully wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her up into a sitting position. As delicately as possibly, he picked her up from the chair, cradling her in his arms and lifting her from the chair. She barely opened her eyes, hardly conscious as she rested her head against his chest and murmured something that was practically inaudible.

Link blew out the candle on the desk, walking towards the door in the pitch-black darkness of the room. He carried her into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind him and continuing up the spiral staircase nearby. He walked down the narrow corridor and up another set of stairs, stopping when he came to the door of her room. Quietly, he grabbed the handle of the door, being careful not to drop her as he stepped inside the dark room and crossed over to the bed. Gently setting her down on the bed, Link pulled off her boots and circlet before pulling the blankets over her.

The young hero walked around the bed to the other side, taking a seat. It wasn't until he'd gone to pull his own boots off that he felt her stir awake from the opposite side of the bed.

"Link...?" she asked in a tired voice, sitting up and pulling the blanket around herself tightly.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied coolly, looking over his shoulder at her as he pulled off his hat. "Don't worry."

She frowned, shivering as she lowered her gaze. "I'm glad to see you..." she started, sighing as she rubbed her eyes. "Impa's right; I'm sorry, Link."

"Don't listen to Impa," he muttered in reply, climbing onto the bed and pulling the blanket over himself. "She's just being dramatic, as always."

"No, she's right. It's not okay, me practically ignoring the two of you in order to focus on my work... I mean- I'm the reason you're here, she's right about that. I've just been... unappreciative. And it's wrong of me to do that... I'm sorry."

"Listen, Zelda," he spoke up, locking eyes with her, even though she could barely make out his sharp gaze through the darkness. "You're a busy person. You have the most high-stress job in the entire kingdom, and you warned me about it. I understand that you don't always have time for us. I just want you to make sure that you have time for yourself. It kills me to see you work all day and never feel satisfied about it in the end. I want you to be happy, Zelda. I need you to be happy. Just take it easy, alright? That's all I'm asking."

Zelda gazed down at her lap. "Okay. You're right, Link... maybe I take things too seriously, sometimes. I'm sorry..."

He gently placed his hand on her cheek, the moonlight just barely illuminating his soft blue eyes as she looked up at him. "Don't apologize for it," he told her, giving her a small smile. "It's nothing to be sorry about..."

She felt herself melt as she gazed into his eyes, her hand resting on his shoulder. Not knowing what to say, she craned her neck forward, pressing her lips against his.

Link grinned, closing his eyes and pulling her closer to him. He felt her hands against the nape of his neck, and he locked his lips with hers, holding onto the small of her back. "I love you," he managed to breathe out in the short time that their lips were apart, only for her to connect them again as she fell onto her back, pulling him down with her.

"I love you, too," she mustered, her fingers getting tangled in his hair.

She hummed into the kiss when she felt his hands slide down to her hips, and she pressed her chest against his, her hands clasping onto the collar of his tunic.

He leaned on his forearms, being careful not to put too much weight on her. He closed his eyes again, only to open them suddenly seconds later. The young man pulled away, his eyes wide.

"W-What's wrong?" Zelda asked, biting her lip in worry.

"Act like you're asleep!" he whispered hurriedly, pulling himself off of her. "Now!"

Without asking, Zelda closed her eyes, rolling off to her side a bit as Link plopped down on his stomach beside her.

Suddenly, there was the sound of someone grabbing onto the handle of the door and pushing it open with a loud creak. Impa poked her head into the room momentarily, glancing over at the two before nodding to herself curtly and quietly exiting the room.

Zelda waited a moment before letting out a sigh of relief and smoothing her hair back. "You scared me, Link," she told him in a hushed tone, shaking her head. "It truly is unbelievable, how sharp your hearing is..."

He shrugged, rubbing his eyes. "It'd be more useful, if I were better at causing trouble."

"I suppose so. But it's certainly saved us from a number of awkward encounters."

"True. I feel that it'll be any day, now, that Impa tries to give us 'The Talk'."

"Oh, dear Hylia," Zelda groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically as Link stifled a laugh. "Be gracious that you didn't have to hear all of that coming from Impa's mouth, like I did. It's an utter nightmare."

"I heard it from Fado when I was little and he was black-out drunk," he remarked, rolling his eyes and snorting. "There are some things that children should NOT know..."

She wrinkled her nose. "Please don't go into detail."

"I won't. Just imagine the worst possible things to tell a young child and be thankful that you didn't have to sit through THAT."

Zelda shuddered. "It sounds awful. But still... you know how Impa is. She's been like that for as long as I can remember, so you can imagine what it was like to listen to..."

"Ugh. Definitely..." After a moment of silence, he sat up, smirking at her curiously. "So what'd she say?"

She shrugged. "The usual, I suppose. However, you know how Impa is, always trying to intimidate me... to this day, I'm amazed that she didn't insist I wear something similar to a chastity belt."

He laughed. "I guess that is shocking. However, she does know about the two of us, so it's never too late..."

Zelda grimaced. "Oh, I hope you're wrong..."

"I more than you."

She blushed, meekly twiddling her thumbs, even though she was confident that he couldn't make out the color of her cheeks through the darkness. "Link..."

The young man grinned, grabbing onto her hand and planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm just telling the truth. I'm a guy, Zelda. You can't blame me for thinking like one."

Zelda shook her head, her cheeks flooded red. "I-I'm flattered as always, Link," she managed to reply, biting her cheek and chuckling nervously. "I, um... i-if it's any consolation, I'd never agree to wear anything like a chastity belt. Not... with you around, anyway..."

He smirked, and her breath hitched as he leaned forward, resting his hand on her chin and locking his lips with hers. "I'm flattered, too," he murmured, grinning as he pulled away. Link lied down on his back, stretching his arms above his head. "We don't get enough alone time, really..."

The queen frowned slightly, scooting over to him and resting her head against his chest. "Maybe not... but since you're going to Kakariko Village in two days, you'll have free time afterwards, and then we'll have more time to spend together..."

"Not to mention the fact that your birthday is coming up..."

She lowered her gaze, rubbing the back of her neck. "I generally don't care to take the day off for my birthday..."

Link knit his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I just- I mean, Impa always loves to bake a cake and sing 'Happy Birthday' to me on my birthday. But she always lets me do whatever I want to that day, and I usually just... treat it as if it were any other day."

"Well that's over with," he nodded curtly, glancing over at her. "There's no way I'm letting you work on your birthday, Zelda. It's just not gonna happen."

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I don't know, but you aren't working. I'll take you out somewhere..."

Zelda smiled. "That's sweet, Link... but it really isn't necessary to go out of your way to-"

"It's only fair," he insisted, putting his hand up. "I had a fun birthday celebration, so you will, too."

She raised an eyebrow. "You thought it was fun?"

"...I mean, before we woke up the next morning, yeah..."

"...I suppose so. But you don't have to do anything special, Link; it truly isn't necessary..."

"But I want to, Zelda," he responded, yawning as he fluffed the pillow behind his head. "You're a queen, you know. You should be treated like it, at least once in a while..."

She rested a hand against his chest, biting her cheek. "It would be nice for the two of us to go out..." she stated, still slightly unsure. "If... you truly do wish to go out, then I suppose we could..."

"Only if you're up to it."

Zelda grinned, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Absolutely. I love going out with you, Link..."

The young man chuckled, running his fingers through her hair. "I love going out with you, too..." He gazed up at the ceiling, pulling the blanket up over the two of them. Giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as he held her closely. "I love you..."

"I love you too, Link..." she replied drowsily, rubbing her eyes and then resting her head against him again, a smile playing across her lips. "I'll see you in the morning..."

"You sure?" he asked, knowing that she usually got out of bed and went down to her office before he'd even woken up.

"I'm positive," she assured him, nodding slowly as she felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy.

"Okay..." he whispered, holding her closely as she began to go limp in his arms. "Good night, Zelda."

"Good night, Link," she mumbled in a nearly inaudible tone, drifting off to sleep.

Not long after she fell asleep, he followed suit, hoping that she would be there when he awakened.

And to his delight, of course, she was.


	2. The False Ignoramus

A/N: First thing's first: If you're going to leave a review, please give me your opinion on omelets. They're mentioned in this chapter, but I've never eaten one, so I was just curious... so yeah. What a way to start an author's note, right? Anyway... as usual, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I suppose that I don't have too much to say, other than... this chapter has LOTS of dialogue! And I really like writing lighthearted chapters like this, because it shows that my characters do, in fact, have a sense of humor. That's not always super obvious. Especially with Impa, who actually DOES kind of have a sense of humor... kind of. But it also gives me an excuse to crack stupid jokes, so that's a plus. ANYWAY, thank you all SO MUCH for your continued support, and your kind words and reviews, and, yes, your dealing with my stupid jokes. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ^.^

Chapter 2

"I told you I'd still be here," she muttered groggily, her arm stretched over his chest as she buried her face into a pillow.

Link grinned, rubbing his eyes. "You got me there..." He yawned, shivering as he sat up and looked out the small window across the room, where the sunlight had just begun to peek through. "I'm so hungry..."

"Truly, a revelation."

The young man rolled his eyes, grinning as she wrapped her arms around him. "You know, I get enough sarcasm from Impa, Ashei, Malo, and Ilia; you don't have to pile on..."

She smiled, laughing as she sat up and stretched her arms above her head. "Oh, you know that I'm kidding. You're one of the few people that I do joke around with, but if you're going to complain about it, then I suppose that I can stop trying to lighten up and simply go back to being completely formal with you..."

"Not a chance," he retorted, throwing his arms around her waist and pulling her back towards him.

Zelda giggled, turning to face him. "If you say so..." She yawned, rubbing her eyes as he let go of her. "Do you know what time it is?"

He shrugged. "I'm not completely sure, but the sun's not very bright, so it's probably early, still..."

She nodded, clearing her throat. "That's true... my meeting is at 9:00, so I can't be late..." Zelda glanced around for a minute before wrinkling her nose. "I truly should invest in getting a clock for my room..."

"But you can still eat breakfast," he pointed out, grabbing her by the arm and lightly tugging on her.

The queen frowned, slouching forward. "You may have to drag me there; I'm barely even awake yet, Link..."

She yelped in surprise, ending up in a fit of laughter when he began to literally drag her out of bed. Zelda grabbed onto his arm, pulling on his sleeve before he could pull her onto the ground. "Okay, I'll get up!"

He chuckled when she pushed herself to her feet. "You sure? Getting dragged downstairs may be a little painful, but I could carry you..."

"Don't do that, either," she replied, smiling.

"What was that?" he asked loudly, causing her to jump as he took a step forward. "You say that you wouldn't mind me carrying you downstairs? Your wish is my command, Your Majesty!"

"Link, I didn't-!"

Before she could stop him, he quickly grabbed her by the waist, slinging her over his shoulder as she shouted, trying not to laugh.

"L-Link!" she protested, but she couldn't help the smile that grew on her lips as he carried on out the door. "Link, what did I-" She laughed, trying to wrestle herself from his grasp. "Wh-What did I tell you? Don't carry me downstairs!"

"Why not?" he asked, already halfway down the hallway.

"B-Because..." Zelda thought to herself for a moment. "Y-You might throw out your back! Or drop me down the stairs!"

"I wrestled a Goron, Zelda. I doubt that either of those things would happen. But since you're so insistent..." Link set her back down, grinning from ear to ear as she giggled, smoothing her hair back.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, turning on her heel as they continued down the corridor. "You truly are a pain! I love you, Link, but... oh my goodness!"

He shrugged, smirking as he trailed behind her. "I can kid around too, you know..."

Zelda smiled slightly, clasping her hands together. "I know... it's part of what makes you such a fun person to be around, really."

He bit his lip, picking up his pace to catch up to her. "You say that as if you aren't any fun," he remarked, matching her speed.

The young woman shrugged, turning to look at him with her pensive blue eyes. "Well... you make up for what I lack, Link. That's why it's so common that opposites attract..."

"Don't say that, Zelda..." he responded, frowning slightly. "You're plenty of fun to be around; that's why the kids love you so much... and you have a great sense of humor. I'm not friends with anti-fun people, in case you hadn't noticed..."

She opened the door to the foyer, where they continued across the room towards the sitting room, from which they left to go to the kitchen. They glanced over at the counter, where Impa was busy cooking omelets in a pan.

"Hey, Impa," Link started, causing the woman to look over her shoulder, "you think that Zelda's fun to be around, right?"

Impa raised an eyebrow, turning her attention back to her cooking. "I don't understand why you're consulting me on the subject of fun, but..."

"It's just a question," he answered nonchalantly, leaning on the counter as Zelda remained standing, pursing her lips.

"I think that we should just... drop the subject, Link," the queen stated, shaking her head slightly.

The older woman furrowed her brow when the room grew silent, and she bit her lip. "...So when is your meeting at, Zelda?"

"9:00," she replied, nodding slowly as she approached the counter.

Link rubbed the back of his neck. There wasn't anything for him to do for the rest of the day...

"Mind if I sit in on the meeting?" he asked, looking over at the young woman.

Zelda knit her brow. "No... but it'll be awfully tedious. Are you sure you want to?"

He shrugged, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I don't really have much on my plate today, at all. Plus I've never gone to any of your meetings, so... why not?"

"You want coffee, Link?" Impa asked, walking over to the cupboard.

"Yes, please," he replied, yawning.

"Still hate coffee, Zelda?"

The young queen nodded, smiling slightly. "I'm afraid so."

"Alright..." Impa stated, turning back to the food. "The omelets are ready, just give me a minute to make the coffee... you two can head into the dining room, if you'd like."

They both nodded, thanking her as they both tiredly trudged towards the door. Link and Zelda entered the dining room, shivering as they took a seat at the large table.

Zelda looked across the table at Link, a hint of a smile on her lips as she leaned forward. He glanced up at her, a small grin spreading across his face.

"What?"

She shrugged. "Nothing..." Zelda pursed her lips, resting her cheek against her hand. "Are you sure that you want to come to the meeting? They're usually rather dull..."

He nodded, sitting up taller. "Yeah, I'm sure. I really don't have much to do today, since I'm not going to Kakariko until tomorrow morning... really, I don't mind it..."

Zelda nodded. "If you say so..."

The two turned towards the door when they heard Impa enter the room, holding three plates. Setting the food down in front of the two of them, she took a seat beside Zelda, who thanked her for the meal.

"It looks delicious," Link told the woman, smiling as he grabbed the fork from beside his plate.

Impa nodded graciously, picking up her own fork. "The coffee's on to boil, so it should be done fairly soon. What were you two talking about?"

"I was just asking Link if he was sure that he wanted to sit in on the meeting," the young woman replied, taking a bite of her food.

Impa cleared her throat, turning her attention towards Link. "You have to go down to Kakariko Village tomorrow, don't you?"

Link nodded, swallowing the food that was already in his mouth. "Yeah, tomorrow morning. Why?"

Impa rolled her eyes. "Telma wanted me to tell you to remind Renado of her existence. She's got a real crush on that man..."

The young hero knit his brow. "I don't exactly think that he requites her feelings," he admitted, biting his cheek. "Last I checked, he found her to be 'overbearing'. Plus, I don't know that his daughter would approve..."

The older woman smirked, raising her eyebrows. "He has a daughter? Telma would have a crush on the single dad."

Link chuckled, playing with his fork. "Uh, yeah. She's, like... fifteen, or something? Named Luda. I didn't talk to her much, but she seems nice. She and Renado are close, though, so I get the feeling that maybe she wouldn't take a liking to Telma, even if Renado happened to like Telma back."

She shrugged. "Probably for the best that he doesn't requite her feelings, then. Should I tell her?"

He frowned. "I don't know. It's a bit cruel, I think... but it isn't going anywhere. On the other hand, I'm not sure that she's heard of the phrase 'Don't kill the messenger', so..."

"I'll tell her," Impa answered, snorting. "Woman has her head in the clouds all the time, anyway... she might not be so happy, though..."

Link pursed his lips. "...I think she may have a big of a crush on Fado, from Ordon. I could... ask him what he thinks about it, next time I see him..."

She shrugged. "It's worth a shot..." Impa paused for a moment before standing up from the table and heading towards the door while muttering something about the coffee to herself.

After Impa had left, Zelda turned to Link, suppressing a grin. "Did you just set up Fado with Telma?"

Link thought to himself, staring down at his food. "I may have... accidentally done so. B-But Telma's a really nice person, and I wouldn't want her to be upset about Renado not liking her, so maybe..."

"...It appears that you've become a matchmaker by circumstance," she remarked, giggling as she took another bite of her omelet.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe..." Link was silent for a moment as he glanced at the clock behind Zelda. "Do you have to be at the meeting at 9:00 sharp?"

"I try to get there a few minutes early," she responded.

Impa entered the room again, carrying two steaming mugs of coffee. She set them on the table, taking her seat beside Zelda. Link reached for his mug, only to be interrupted when Impa swatted his hand away, scowling. "I know you," she accused him, pulling his mug away from him a bit. "You'll try to drink it right away. I swear, you never learn..."

The hero frowned, eating another forkful of his breakfast.

The group of three was quiet for another few minutes as they ate in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally, Zelda spoke up once more.

"What's on your plate today, Impa?"

The older woman shrugged. "I had some errands to run in Castle Town, later... I was planning on visiting Telma, too, but that isn't a sure thing, just yet. So I don't have much on my pla-"

"-AUGH!" Link exclaimed, slamming his coffee mug down on the table and causing Zelda to jump in surprise. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing.

Impa glared daggers at him. "You're unbelievable," she scolded the young man, pulling the mug away from him. "I feel that you should be demoted."

Zelda frowned, looking over at Impa. "He's not being demoted simply because he's impatient, sometimes," she cut in, causing Link to narrow his eyes. "Also, that's probably the fifth time this week that you've threatened to demote him."

"It's been more than five times; you just haven't been around to hear all of it."

"I think the conversations between the two of you are fairly predictable, as it is, so I can imagine that you've threatened to demote him WELL over five times."

"And you would imagine correctly."

The rest of the breakfast went fairly similarly, with Zelda defending Link's obviously stubborn behavior and Impa counter-arguing as Link stole quick glances at his coffee. They sat there long after they had finished their food, right up until the point when Zelda and Link had to leave for the meeting. They thanked Impa for the breakfast and Link grabbed his coffee mug, quietly wandering across the room and towards the door.

Zelda showed Link the way towards the room where mostly all of her meetings and conferences were held, on the second floor of the castle through some set of hallways that Link had never thought to venture through. He blew into his coffee, trying to memorize the route through the several corridors towards the room. Finally, they arrived inside the spacious room where a large, round table sat in the center.

At the table sat about a dozen council members, all middle-aged and older-looking men with a wealthy air about them. They looked up in surprise, glancing at each other in confusion.

"Your Majesty," one of the men from the far end of the table started, clearing his throat as he tried to compose himself. "We weren't sure of whether or not to expect you..."

She furrowed her brow. "This meeting was planned well over a week ago... why were you unsure?"

He bit his tongue. "Well, you'd said..." The man trailed off, staring at Link. "Who's this you've brought with you?"

The queen looked back at Link, still slightly thrown off. "Oh... this is Link. He's the young Hero of Hyrule, an upstanding member of the Soldiers of Hyrule, my boyfriend..."

"I'm sorry, what was that last part?"

"He's my boyfriend. I'm surprised that you haven't heard of him... But why is it that you weren't expecting me...?"

"Erm..." the man managed to choke out, nervously glancing around at the other members of the council, whose expressions mirrored his. "Your boyfriend... he's... okay with coming to this meeting?"

Zelda nodded, motioning for Link to follow her as they both took a seat at the table. "It was his idea, actually. He hasn't been to any of my meetings, as of yet, and so he figured that he might as well tag along."

"So... THIS meeting... you decided that he should come along to...?"

Zelda knit her brow. Before she could answer him, the door behind them swung open, revealing a stout old man who greeted them all in a cheerful tone.

"Good morning, everyone!" he boomed, hardly noticing Link as he passed them all by and took a seat at the final empty chair. "Your Majesty, I'm glad to see you've changed your mind. Now, we should begin, correct? First order of business; we need to fill that empty chair in the council."

"Sir," another man spoke up, raising his hand politely, "if I might intrude, in all technicality, all of the seats at the council table are currently occupied."

"Is that so?" the man replied in a gruff voice, smoothing down his mustache as he squinted over at Link. "Did we hire a new councilman, already?"

"This is our queen's guest, actually," he replied, nodding curtly. "He, uh... is simply sitting in on the meeting. He's one of the... higher-up soldiers in Hyrule's army."

"Very well," the stout man nodded, sitting up in his chair. "So the issue of hiring a new councilman is still at-hand. What is your name, guest of Her Majesty?"

The young hero's eyes widened slightly, not having expected to be spoken to. He cleared his throat, resting his hands on the table. "My name is Link, Sir. Of... Ordon Village."

"Ordon?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. "But you certainly are of Hylian descent, are you not?"

"I am," Link answered, not tearing his gaze from the man's. "I was raised in Ordon Village by its residents after being orphaned as an infant. But I DO consider myself to be a villager of the province, despite the blatancy of the fact that I'm not a human, as the Ordonians are."

He nodded, clearing his throat. "You seem well-spoken, Link. Surely you must also be reliable, if Lady Zelda has chosen to appoint you to such a high position in our militant forces. Therefore, I must ask... do you have any recommendations as to whom should be appointed to the Royal Council?"

The young man knit his brow. "No specific person comes to mind," he admitted, shaking his head slowly. "Although I'm sure that there is someone suited for such a position who I've met before. I'll... certainly notify you if I think of anything."

"Certainly do," he replied, nodding curtly as Link picked up his coffee, obviously intimidated. The old man turned back to the general audience, coughing into his fist. "Now, we should carry on to the topic of this conference for the sake of time..."

Everyone but Link nodded as the men chatted amongst themselves. The young hero took a deep breath, bringing the mug to his lips and taking a big drink of it.

"Of course you all know the topic of this meeting," the man added, leaning forward in his chair. "I am a bit surprised, however, that you decided to attend, Your Majesty. But no matter; of course, our queen will be coming of age in a matter of days, which brings up the pressing matter: Whom will be a worthy suitor for her?"

Link nearly choked on his coffee as Zelda's face contorted in shock, and then utter anger.

"WHAT?!" she and Link both cried, though Link seemed a bit more confused than angry.

The mustached man knit his brow. "Suitor. It's a term used to describe a man (or, in this case, a royal, to some degree), who is willing to court a woman (or, in this case, Queen Zelda.) I'd thought that you would both be familiar with the term-"

"We're both perfectly familiar with the term!" the young queen exclaimed, glowering at the man. "What I'd LIKE to know, is-!"

"It's very rude to interrupt, Your Majesty," he interrupted, putting a hand up firmly.

Her eyes darkened. "It's ALSO very rude to insist on finding a suitor for an individual who happens to ALREADY BE IN A RELATIONSHIP."

"But... your boyfriend isn't of royal descent, is he?"

"It makes no difference, whether he's 'of royal descent', or not!"

"In all technicality, Your Majesty..."

"There's nothing technical about it!" she barked, throwing her face into her hands. "I'm not cheating on my boyfriend for the sake of pleasing the Royal Council!"

"Why did you come to the meeting if you're against finding a royal suitor?"

"Because this meeting was supposed to be a discussion on the refurbishment project beginning TOMORROW MORNING in Kakariko Village!" Zelda retorted, beginning to develop a splitting headache.

He raised an eyebrow. "But that meeting was pushed back to 6:00 PM in order to make time for THIS meeting."

"I called off this meeting," she told him, obviously frustrated as she rubbed her temples. "The council brought it up, and I denied it."

"Then I don't believe that your secretary delivered the full message to our council, because we'd thought that you simply didn't wish to attend..."

The queen sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "I don't HAVE a secretary. I delivered the message myself, to the council, directly."

"Ah. Perhaps you should consider hiring a secretary... Well, I wasn't here, so you'll have to take it up with one of the other council members."

"W-We're sorry, Your Majesty!" one of the other men promptly spoke up, cowering as he slumped down in his seat. "It's just... a very pressing matter, marriage is..."

"But you KNEW of my relationship with Link," she pointed out, leaning forward onto the table. "I insisted on disbanding the conference because I'm in a relationship with Link, and therefore am not planning on marrying some noble stranger from a far-off kingdom..."

"To be fair, not all of the noble strangers are far-off. After all, there IS Prince Ralis..."

"...He's not even fourteen-years-old, yet."

"But he's very handsome, Your Majesty. You might like him."

The stout man cut in again. "Who's this other Link that you speak of?" He chuckled to himself, adjusting his jacket. "It's strange, really. I've never heard such a name before, and yet here I am today, having heard the name twice in the past five minutes..."

The councilmen all deflated, wondering why the mustached man had been appointed as their leader.

The young queen shook her head slightly, her gaze set intently on the carved patterns in the wooden table. "This is Link," she answered monotonously, her eyes tired.

"Yes, I know, My Queen. But I'm speaking of your boyfriend, of course; who is HE?"

If the councilmen deflated any more, then they'd likely become as flat as parchment.

Zelda exhaled through her nose, obviously more patient than the rest of the council. Though, her tolerance seemed to be running short...

"This is my boyfriend," she continued, rubbing her eyes as Link took another drink of coffee, his hand beginning to grow jittery.

"Ah!" the man exclaimed, finally putting the pieces together. "I see! And what a fine young man he is! You've done well, choosing an established soldier like Link!"

Zelda cleared her throat, sitting up. "I didn't hire him as a soldier until after we'd already begun to see each other."

"...So is that why he's a soldier...?"

"Actually, he was the young hero who rescued Hyrule and brought an end to the Twilight Invasion. Consequentially, he was made a soldier."

"Ah!" he nodded, smiling cheerfully. "A fine young man he is! But you WILL be coming of age, My Queen, so it begs the question: Do you plan on marrying him?"

Their eyes both widened as they glanced at each other, unsure of what to say.

"It... it's been discussed, briefly," Link spoke up, biting his lip. "We... don't have any... o-official plans, per se, but it HAS been... discussed."

"Well, there's no rush, of course," he nodded, sniffling. "Although, if your relationship hits a rough patch, then do tell; after all, it IS customary to arrange a marriage for the monarch of the kingdom, so..."

"We're doing very well, actually," Zelda spoke up, narrowing her eyes as Link took another drink of coffee.

One of the younger men at the table chimed in. "We just... decided to keep the idea of finding a suitor open. Because... w-well, you never can tell where you're headed in the future..."

The queen's eyes sharpened. "It's comforting to know that I have a plan to fall back on," she spit out sarcastically, tapping her foot impatiently, "but I'd prefer that you all refrain from making bets on my relationship with Link."

"We're just trying to think realistically," another man interrupted, slouching forward in his seat.

"You're trying to insinuate that our current relationship is, by all means, completely temporary."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, young love is never a sure thing."

"Nothing is certain," she retorted, not lowering her icy gaze. "And with all due respect, Sir, I feel that implying that one's relationship won't last is inconsiderate, to say the least. Some might go as far as to say that it's downright insulting, actually."

"You must know that I meant no disrespect, Your Majesty," he answered, his hands beginning to shake a bit. "I apologize."

There was a long silence as Zelda buried her head into her hands frustratedly. The council stared at her and Link awkwardly as the young hero set down his coffee mug, frowning over at the queen.

"I think that we should go," he proposed, comfortingly resting a hand on her leg beneath the table.

The councilmen glanced around at each other.

"That is Her Majesty's decision, of course," the mustached man stated, sitting up tall.

Zelda shook her head, exhaling through her nose. "No; Link's right," she agreed, resting her hand on his for a moment before standing up from her chair. "This meeting is concluded."

"And what of the conference that was to be held at 6:00, tonight?"

"It's adjourned," she replied, gazing at the council stoically as Link slowly stood up. "It will be held tomorrow, at this time." Without another word, she exited the room with Link following directly behind her.

He breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the hallway, leaning up against the wall after he had closed the door behind them. "Do you have to deal with them, every day?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, visibly fuming as she scowled at the rug beneath her feet. "It's ridiculous!" Zelda grumbled, laughing bitterly as she paced around in circles. "You would THINK that an official council of individuals with the goal of aiding the kingdom wouldn't be so... s-so..." The young woman trailed off, shaking her head as she stood still for a moment.

"Hey," he spoke up softly, giving her a small smile and resting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him, her brow still furrowed. "Don't let anything that they say get to you. Why does it bother you, anyway?"

Zelda thought to herself for a moment, her jaw loosening up a bit. "I... I just..."

"You aren't worried about us, are you?"

"No," she interjected quickly, shaking her head tersely. "Of course not..."

"So there's no reason to dwell on it, right?" He brushed a piece of hair over her shoulder, gazing into her eyes.

Zelda felt herself melt as she looked back at him, unintentionally grabbing onto his hand. She leaned against him, closing her eyes when she felt his warm hands against the small of her back. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Right."

Link smiled warmly, gently swaying her in his arms. "We haven't danced in a while, now that I think of it..." he remarked.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm fairly certain that the fact that you despise dancing is at least partially to blame for that."

He chuckled. "Sure... but it's different, when I dance with you."

The young woman grinned. "Why is that, exactly?"

He shrugged. "I mean... I generally don't like dancing because I'm bad at it, and I end up looking like a complete fool when I dance. But if I'm dancing with a beautiful girl like you, then... why would anybody be looking at me, anyway?"

Zelda's eyes softened as she stared down at her feet, blushing. "Oh... thank you, Link. You're... unbelievably sweet, as always."

"You're unbelievably stunning, as always."

She felt her face grow hotter. "You think so?"

"Oh, you'd light up any room the minute you stepped inside. You're absolutely radiant; there's no doubt about it."

Zelda looked into his eyes, beaming at him as he smiled back at her. Wordlessly, she threw her arms around his neck, giggling girlishly as he planted a warm kiss on her cheek. "I don't think I'd ever find a sweeter boyfriend..."

"Well, I mean... there's always Shad."

"Oh, don't you even start with Shad. My feelings towards him are purely platonic, and he also has a girlfriend."

"That's still not official yet, Zelda. There's always a chance."

"Are you also encouraging that I cheat on you? Because you should always be careful what you wish for, you know..."

He snorted. "You're too nice to ever cheat on anyone."

Zelda shrugged. "I aim to please, Link."

"So you're saying that, if I was totally okay with you seeing other guys, then you would? Because I'm gonna have to call your bluff, on that one."

The young woman was silent for a moment as she grinned to herself. "...You're right. I could never do something like that... even if you were somehow completely okay with it."

He nodded, chuckling as they began to casually stroll down the corridor. "I knew it... in all seriousness, though, I think that Shad would TOTALLY be you're second choice."

"What is it with you insisting that I would fall for Shad?"

"Because you're exactly alike, that's why. Unlike me, he's intellectual. In all honesty, you are WAY too smart for me."

"That isn't true at all, Link," she replied, shaking her head. "You're quite smart, actually. And I'm not necessarily intelligent... wisdom and wit are two completely different things, after all."

"Sure," he responded, "but you've got both. You actually think about things logically, and I just kind of... jump right in without thinking at all."

"But you are bright, Link," she insisted, smiling at him. "It certainly takes brains to navigate the dungeons of Hyrule Kingdom, come up with tactics to defeat enemies, strategize and create a plan, in general..."

Link rolled his eyes. "That's flattering, Zel, but I can't even write a simple sentence in cursive."

She grinned, moreso at the name than anything. "You know very well that a strong mind is not at all based on the ability to write in cursive..." she replied matter-of-factly.

He shrugged. "I may not be dumb, but I'm certainly not smart. Common sense is enough to navigate those dungeons, really..."

Zelda sighed in exasperation. "Alright, alright... I see that you're not in the mood to take a compliment, so I'll just drop it."

They were both silent for a moment as she gazed ahead of them. A small grin grew on her face, and Link looked over at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What are you smiling about?"

The queen giggled to herself, knitting her hands together. "It's just... that nickname you used a minute ago. You... called me Zel."

"Oh," he answered, chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh... sorry, about that. I didn't even realize that I'd said it..."

"I don't mind it," she replied, beaming at him. "I think that it's really sweet, actually..."

He grinned sheepishly. "I don't know why I said it..."

They both smiled at each other for a moment before shifting their gazes towards the floor as they silently ventured back to the foyer.

"...I feel that I need to teach you to read and write in cursive, since you find it to be so utterly important," she spoke up, entering the final hall before the foyer.

He rolled his eyes. "It's important if you don't want everyone to think that you're a complete imbecile."

The young woman frowned slightly. "Nobody thinks that about you, Link..."

"Not even Impa?"

"There IS such a thing as tough love, Link. I'm afraid that you'll just have to grow accustomed to it."

"...I'm DEFINITELY calling your bluff on that one."

"No, it's true!" she tried to convince him.

"It may be tough love between the two of YOU," he started, skeptically, "but the 'love' part definitely doesn't come into play between Impa and I."

"She truly does like you, Link," Zelda insisted, nodding as they both approached the foyer. "But, as usual, you simply cannot take my word for anything. Would you like for me to teach you to write in cursive?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I don't see why not. When will you teach me, though?"

Zelda thought to herself momentarily, glancing up at the tall ceiling as they crossed through the room. "Well... why not now?"

"Now?"

She nodded, turning on her heel suddenly and causing him to nearly knock her over when he slammed into her.

"Oof!" he exclaimed, trying to regain his composure as he took a step back. "Sorry, Zelda! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, chuckling nervously as she smoothed her hair back and shook her head dizzily. "And that was my fault. Sorry... but as I was trying to say, I feel that now would be the best time to do so, anyway, since you have that trip tomorrow, and my birthday is coming up afterwards..."

"You sure you're not too busy?"

She nodded, exhaling through her nose. "Since I'd planned for that meeting this morning, but this one was cut short, and the actual planned meeting is being moved to tomorrow morning... that means that I have extra free time. So, this is definitely the best time to do it."

Link grinned. "Alright... let's do it, then. What do we need?"

"Uh... paper," she started, nodding curtly. "Also... a writing utensil, and quite a bit of patience."

"Sounds more like we're about to write poetry."

She shook her head. "No, that's step two."

"..."

"...I'm kidding."

"Don't scare me like that, Zelda."

She grinned, leading him towards the library. "Would you prefer I scare you by other means? I AM your boss, you know. That certainly gives me a number of options..."

He frowned slightly. "Or you could decide that you love me so much that you don't have to scare me at all..." Link gazed up at the ceiling pensively. "Plus, I think that options are limited when you're only thinking as a boss. I'd go for a pregnancy scare, personally."

Zelda raised an eyebrow, looking over at him. "I wouldn't, if I were you..."

"Why is that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't know that I'd believe you if you told me that you were pregnant..."

It was quiet for a moment as he slowly looked over at Zelda, who was grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face.

"You must be really proud of that one."

"You set me up for it, in all fairness..."

The young man chuckled, reaching for her hand as they entered the library. "I guess so..."

They both continued to chat with each other as Zelda dug through the library for stationary supplies, glad that she'd decided to take the day off.


	3. Pursuit

A/N: Okay, so... it's been suggested by multiple readers that I write a lemon for this story. I do know that many of you enjoy reading the lemons I write (I'd imagine it's because I try REALLY hard to keep them tasteful...), but I do know that there are some readers who read this story purely for the fluff and really don't like lemons that much. Therefore, I WILL write a lemon under the condition that I get to have five-chapter rule. That means that, basically, there will not be more than one lemon per five chapters written in the story. And no, that doesn't mean that I'm guaranteeing a lemon for every five chapters. That's just a general rule to keep it from getting too overwhelming for those who don't like lemons so much. I try to be just, of course. Also, just remember that I do NOT and WILL not write full-out slobbery and icky smut. It's not my forte. And, as I said, I try to keep it tasteful. I may push the boundaries of it at times, but do know that I try very hard not to make it too dirty. What I'm trying to say in this long paragraph, among other things, is that I WILL write a lemon for this story soon enough. Like, in the next few chapters, maybe. I must first ask for the approval of the general audience, as usual. So there. Anyway... this chapter is fairly action-filled towards the end (I know, right? Who'd have thought?!), but the beginning is fluffy, as usual. And, uh... there's mild violence, so I'll put it out there (don't worry, it's nothing serious. I just thought I should say it...). So... I need to shut up, now, don't I? Okay. Well, please enjoy this chapter! ^.^

Chapter 3

The morning sun had yet to rise when Link had awoken in bed beside Zelda, who was still sound asleep. He exhaled through his nose, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he slouched forward and gazed down at his lap. If he was to leave for Kakariko Village, then it was best that he got ready as soon as possible...

Quietly, he shifted to the side, trying his best not to wake Zelda as he crawled out of bed. His face deflated slightly when he felt her stirring from the opposite side of the bed, and he knew immediately that she had awoken, as well.

"Link?" she asked groggily, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Are you awake?"

He nodded, though it was likely that she couldn't make it out through the darkness. "Yeah... sorry for waking you up, Zelda. You can go back to sleep..."

The young woman shook her head slowly, rubbing her forehead as she sat up in bed, shivering. "No... it's okay. I'm a fairly light sleeper, as it is. And I'd prefer to see you off before you leave for Kakariko Village, anyway..." She stretched her arms above her head, yawning again. "You ARE planning on departing soon, aren't you?"

Link ran his fingers through his bangs. "Yeah," he replied, still trying to fully wake up. "When are the soldiers heading out?"

She bit her lip pensively. "What time is it now, around 5:00?"

"I think so, yeah... something like that."

Zelda thought to herself for a moment. "If it is, then they're leaving in about an hour, or so..."

He stretched his legs out in front of him, exhaling deeply as he closed his eyes for a moment. "Alright. I should get ready, then..."

"Are you sure that you don't want to sleep for a few extra minutes?" she asked, frowning as she rubbed her eyes. "We were up fairly late last night, and you have a long day ahead of you..."

He shook his head. "Nah... if I go back to sleep, I don't think you'd be able to get me up, again..."

Link glanced over through the window, gazing out at the dark field below. He pulled the blankets off of himself. "So will the workers be staying overnight?"

She wrapped the blankets around her shoulders. "I don't believe so," she replied, sniffling. "The only possible shelter for them would be the hotel there, and even so, it's rather small for the amount of workers to be constructing the project. So you won't have to stay overnight..."

The young hero nodded. "So what time is the project done for the day?"

"Before dusk. I'd say around 4:30, but the foreman has the exact time on his schedule. But if everything's going as planned, then I wouldn't mind you coming back during one of the lunch shifts for a bit..."

He smirked, turning to face her. "And to think that you asked me if you work me too hard..."

"Well, I have been, lately," she answered, looking up at him as he scooted closer to her. She sighed softly when he rested a hand on her face, pecking her on the cheek. "So you need a break. And that's what this would be... a break."

Link grinned, wrapping his arms around her. "You really don't have to worry about me, Zelda. I like my job, you know... so it really isn't such a chore to do. Especially when you think about the fact that it's not even a daily thing..."

"But it must be exhausting," Zelda pointed out, raising her eyebrows.

He shrugged. "Maybe, if it were like it was during the Invasion and I lived under harsh conditions with little sleep... but I'm literally living in a castle, Zelda, so there really isn't anything that I could possibly complain about. And even if there were, you know that I wouldn't think much of it. I like to believe that I'm a fairly good sport."

"You're far more than a good sport," she remarked, smiling slightly when he leaned over and pressed his lips to her temple. "I just want to be sure that you're as comfortable as possible..."

"Of course I am," he replied, nodding as he gazed into her eyes with his hand gently resting on her leg. "I have a pretty nice life, Zelda. But thanks..." Link grinned, reaching for her hands and interlocking his fingers with hers. "And I certainly couldn't ask for a better boss..."

Zelda giggled when he pecked her on the lips, pulling away after a moment and pushing himself to his feet.

"You sure you wouldn't rather sleep in?" he questioned, walking over to the wardrobe that consisted solely of his own clothes and opening it up. "You have that meeting in a few hours; you might regret not getting the extra sleep..."

She shook her head as he grabbed the blue uniform that had been issued to him for work, pulling it out and shutting the wardrobe.

"I'm not so tired..." she responded, rubbing her eyes. "And I'd rather see you off than get some extra sleep while you leave on your own..."

"Not on my own," Link remarked, carefully lying the clothes down on the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I always head out with the workers; you know that..."

The young queen blushed when he pulled his shirt over his head. "B-But you don't ride in the carriages with them," she pointed out, turning away timidly and staring at the wall.

He paused for a moment, smirking. "You know, there really is no reason for you to be shy about it..."

She chuckled nervously, twiddling her thumbs as he pulled off the rest of his clothes. "I know... sorry..."

Link laughed, grabbing the uniform and pulling it on. "You don't have to apologize; it's fine. I mean, I'd look away if you were getting dressed. N-Not that I totally want to; you're absolutely beautiful. I just..."

Zelda smiled. "You're a gentleman, Link... there simply is no way around it."

He bit his tongue, buttoning up his overcoat. "You can look, now." Link looked down at himself as she turned back, and he wrinkled his nose. "It's a bit much for the purpose it serves... I look like a sergeant with chain mail."

"You look handsome, as always," she assured him, smiling warmly as she approached him. Zelda rested her hands on his shoulders, her eyes bright.

"I think it's too much."

"You think that pajamas are too much."

"Fair point." He pulled on his gloves, kissing her on the lips. "But you always dress nicely, so I'll have to take your word for it."

She shrugged. "Dressing nicely makes a good impression. For some reason, politicians lose their credibility if they prefer to be comfortable rather than flawless, so I try to dress as well as possible."

"I think you're gorgeous enough that nobody would bat an eye if you took a break from dressing for success."

"That's sweet," she started, her eyes softening as she adjusted his uniform, "but nobody is capable of tearing the judgement from the minds of the superficial. Certainly not all, but many of those who judge me believe in a perfect first impression, so I have little choice other than to try and impress."

He brushed a piece of hair over her shoulder. "Don't listen to a word of it," he advised her, resting a hand against her back momentarily. Link turned on his heel, stretching his back out and then bending over to grab his boots from the floor.

Zelda nodded tiredly as Link pulled on his shoes. "I know... I won't." She stretched her arms above her head. "Truly, you do look handsome today."

"What about every other day?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he grabbed his belt from beside the bed and pulled it on. "Should I be offended?"

She laughed. "Oh... you know what I mean. If I wanted to offend you, then I wouldn't admire you in the process of doing so."

"I don't know..." he muttered, adjusting his belt. "You seem more like the kind of person that would give a backhanded compliment..."

Zelda scoffed, suppressing a grin as she tried to sound upset with him. "For your information, I would gladly tell someone that I don't like them to their face. Especially you, just for that comment."

"All I'm saying is that girls can be deceptive," Link replied, shrugging. "When was the last time you told someone that you didn't like them? Better yet, when was the last time that you disliked ANYBODY who wasn't a convicted criminal or destroyer of worlds?"

Zelda smirked slightly, folding her hands together. "Okay, I get it; maybe I'm not someone who generally dislikes most people for no reason. So sue me."

"I don't think I'd win that case, anyway; you seem to have a little bit of leverage around here, Your Majesty."

She adjusted the front of her nightgown, smiling as he fixed his hair. "...You should eat before you go..."

The young man shrugged. "I don't think I have time for it..."

"You should at least grab something quick to eat," she told him, nodding as they both headed towards the door.

"I will, don't worry..."

They walked side-by-side down the torch-lit corridor, Zelda slouching groggily as Link gazed ahead of them.

"It's kind of weird, me dressing up and you walking through the halls in your pajamas," he remarked, glancing over at her.

She covered her mouth, yawning. "I think it's a nice change of scenery, personally."

The two continued through the hallways and down the multiple staircases in silence, not stopping until they arrived in the empty kitchen of the castle. Link stood on his toes, reaching up into the cupboards above one of the counters and scavenging through.

The young woman looked over at him, grinning slightly as she crossed her arms. "You might have better luck looking over there..." she hinted, nodding over to the pantry.

He looked back at her and then over to the pantry, frowning slightly as he let go of the door to the cupboard. "Oh. Right." Link crossed over to the large door, opening it up and poking his head inside. He pulled out a couple of apples and set them on the counter, along with a large hunk of cheese wrapped in plastic. Closing the pantry behind him, he turned back to the counter, ripping the plastic off of the cheese and handing Zelda one of the apples. She stared at him oddly for a moment as he dug through one of the kitchen drawers, pulling out a knife.

"It's an... interesting combination," she spoke up, knitting her brow in thought as he sliced through the block of cheese.

Link glanced up at her for a second before turning his attention back to the counter. "You haven't had apples and cheese, before?"

"Separately, yes," she answered, leaning forward onto the counter. "I've never thought to eat them together, though..."

"It's really good," he insisted, nodding as he cut a slice off of his apple and combined it with a small piece of the cheese. He held it out to Zelda, offering her the food. "Try it."

The queen accepted the snack, staring at it for a moment before popping the apple and cheese into her mouth. She chewed the food slowly, glancing around in thought as Link stared at her intently.

"So?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

She grinned slightly, swallowing her food. "Mmm. It's really good, actually..."

He chuckled, nodding as he handed her the knife and she cut off a piece of her apple, grabbing a slice of the cheese. "I told you..."

"Here," she told him, offering it to him. "You let me have a slice of your apple, so it's only fair that you get some of mine."

Link smiled, nodding curtly as he accepted it. It truly was the little things that allowed you to see into someone's personality...

They stood there in the kitchen for the next half an hour or so, finishing their food and chatting about anything that came to mind. They spoke of work, cheese, the fact that the statues around the castle gave Link the creeps, breakfast foods, the need for lower cupboards... It wasn't until twenty-five minutes after they had arrived when they realized how quickly time had flown by, and they quickly set off from the kitchen.

...

Link stroked Epona's mane as he and Zelda strolled through Hyrule Field, having just exited the southern entrance to Castle Town while leading the horse behind them. Off in the distance a bit they saw a few carriages with a number of workers scurrying around, trying to prepare for the trip to Kakariko.

The young woman straightened out the dress that she had quickly thrown on in order to see Link off, clearing her throat. "You aren't still hungry, are you? Because I'm not sure when lunch will be served, exactly, and it wouldn't be too much of a hassle for me to run back to the castle really quickly and grab something..."

He shook his head, gazing off into the horizon that had barely begun to leak with shades of orange and pink as the sun started to rise. "I'm alright. You shouldn't worry about me so much, you know; I'll be just fine, as always."

"You're right; I'm sorry..."

"And you apologize too much," he pointed out, glancing over at her with soft blue eyes. He gave her a small smile, nudging her on the arm. "Don't blame yourself so much; you're an amazing person, believe it or not."

"Sorry," she apologized, only to quickly bite her lip when she realized what she'd said. Her cheeks flooded red as she lowered her gaze, laughing breathily. "I mean... I-I won't. Actions speak louder than words, after all..."

"Right," he nodded curtly, turning his gaze back to the carriages that were now about five meters ahead. They approached the group of men, who quickly tried to collect themselves when they noticed Zelda.

"Y-Your Majesty!" one of the workers squeaked, standing up tall when the two came to a stop before him. "All materials and supplies- a-and things are packed, ma'am! We're almost ready to head out! I'm sorry if we're taking too long-!"

"Nonsense," she responded gently, smiling comfortingly at him when she noticed his obvious stress. "You're all working at a marvelous pace... if it weren't for Link, I don't think I'd have even been up this early to see the workers off!"

The man nodded, sighing in relief as he felt his muscles relax. "That's wonderful to hear... Uh, L-Link, you said...? That does seem to ring a bell..."

"This is Link," Zelda nodded, looking over at the young hero, who stood up a bit taller when he felt the eyes of the workers trained on him. "He is the official supervising soldier of the reconstruction project in Kakariko Village, and you are all to treat him with respect. He has all authority over this project, and whatever he says goes. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" a chorus of voices all exclaimed in unison, causing the queen to jump in surprise.

"Thank you for your time," she replied, trying to compose herself once more as the guards began to scatter again.

Link suppressed a grin, mounting the horse. "And somehow they fear you more than they fear Impa..."

She frowned, looking up at him. "They don't fear me, they fear my title. The individual with the most power is always the most 'intimidating' one, it seems..."

"Even if they're as kindhearted as you?"

"They would fear someone as gentle as Colin, if he had authority over them. They aren't cowardly; they just know better than to stir up trouble with someone who has the upper hand."

"True..." He bit his lip, resting a hand on the back of Epona's neck. "So I'll probably be heading out in a few..."

She nodded understandingly, standing on her tiptoes and smiling when he grabbed onto her hand. Zelda giggled when he craned his neck downward, intertwining his fingers with hers and planting a kiss on the back of her hand.

"You aren't going to worry about me, are you?"

She shook her head tersely. "No. Should I have a reason to?"

Link shook his head in reply. "No." He let go of her hand, grabbing onto Epona's reins. "But, of course, I can't make any promises..."

She grinned. "Right, right... well, don't destroy anything on accident, okay? We ARE trying to reconstruct the village, actually, and the guards certainly don't need more work..."

"What about if I destroy something on purpose? Then will I be excused?"

"Truly, you do always have a witty comeback in the back of your mind, don't you?"

"More so with Impa. She's a real ray of sunshine, so I might as well make her day even brighter, right?"

"If by ray of sunshine you mean a ball of fire that wouldn't hesitate to set you aflame if you happened to agitate it, then yes, absolutely."

Link nodded. "Right, that's exactly what I meant. But you know you love her."

"Absolutely."

He grinned, sitting up taller. "I don't know that you'll be able to convince her that I won't do anything stupid..."

She shrugged. "Perhaps not. But if you don't then you can gloat about it to her when you get back, right?"

Link nodded. "Definitely."

Zelda gave him a small smile. After a few seconds she bit her cheek, gazing down at her feet. "...Just don't do anything dangerous, okay?"

"I'll try not to..." The young man glanced around at the carriages, noticing that nearly all of the workers had piled into them. "I think we're about ready to go. You should probably watch out..."

Zelda made a sort of hum in agreement as she brushed her fingertips against his arm, backing away from him and the horse. "Okay. Good luck! Please be safe!"

"I will," he assured her, flashing a grin before turning his gaze to the road ahead.

"Will you be leading us toward the village, Sir Link?" the same guard asked, climbing into the front of the carriage and grabbing onto the horse's reins.

He chuckled, not accustomed to the title. "Sure thing," he answered, looking over his shoulder to ensure that all of the workers were in the carriages. After a moment, he let out a sharp yell, setting Epona into motion as the carriages trailed behind him.

The young queen watched as the group disappeared into the horizon, hoping that Link would be careful.

...

It was in the mid-afternoon when Link had begun to pace around the village, kicking up dirt from the ground as he kept a close eye on the workers. He strolled past one of the houses that they were in the process of repairing, grimacing when he realized that it was the one that he had unintentionally burned down during the Twilight Invasion. He was just about to turn on his heel and head back down towards the center of the village when he noticed one of the workers bending down in the middle of the lot, struggling to clear away all of the rubble.

Link walked over to the man, kneeling down beside him. "You need any help?" he asked, causing the man to jump up and nearly drop one of the heavy stones that he was trying to move. The worker slid his feet back before the stones could crush them, standing up tall.

"Sir Link!" he cried, obviously startled. "I didn't see you there, Sir! I was just trying to move these bricks, Sir-!"

"I know," he replied coolly, his eyes softening as he stood up to meet the man's level. "You looked like you were having a tough time. Do you need help?"

The man bit his tongue, looking relieved about discovering Link's levelheadedness. "Uh... i-if you aren't too busy, Sir, then I would appreciate it very much..."

"Of course," the hero replied warmly, nodding as he knelt down and began to drag some of the stones to the side. "I don't have much to do, anyway..."

"Thank you, Sir..." he answered, staring at Link for a moment before carrying on with moving the rubble. There was a short silence, and then the guard decided to speak again. "I hope that I don't come off as rude," he started, "but... you seem awfully young to have such a high position in the ranks of the Hylian Soldiers."

"It isn't rude," he responded, shaking his head. "You're right... but I have experience in fighting for the Royal Family, so I was given an instant... well, I suppose that it's a promotion."

"Right..." The man lowered his gaze pensively. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I turned eighteen a couple of months ago."

"I see. Sorry if I'm asking too many questions..."

"Of course not, no..."

He pursed his lips. "Uh, I have one more question, and I hope it isn't too personal or anything, but... you and the queen seem to be very close... are you two friends?"

"In a way," Link laughed, his hands covered in ash. "We've been seeing each other for a little while, now..."

"Oh," the worker replied, his eyes widening slightly. "Wow. I didn't know... Uh, congratulations... to the both of you."

Link chuckled, dusting off his hands. "I get that a lot, for some reason. It is sort of a feat, I guess; Zelda's absolutely amazing..."

He nodded curtly. "She certainly is. You're lucky to have even met her, really... in all honesty, I joined the soldiers out of pure admiration for her hard work."

The young man ran his fingers through his bangs. "She certainly isn't a stranger to hard work, that's for sure..."

"How so?"

He shrugged. "She just... well, she spends most of her time in her own office, sorting through paperwork... and if she isn't there, then she's probably at some sort of meeting with the Royal Council, since those come up pretty frequently... but she has such an important job that I really shouldn't have expected any less."

The man opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted when there was a loud shout from down in the village below. Link and the man glanced at each other quickly before they both took off, running towards the noise.

"Stop!" the owner of the bomb shop, Barnes, yelled across the village at a man cloaked in black who was dashing away. "Thief! Someone stop him!"

The young hero leapt off of one of the platforms, running as fast as his legs could carry him towards the man, who had already nearly made it to the gate leading back to Hyrule Field. Picking up his speed a bit, Link was directly behind the man when they had made it past the gate. The young man grit his teeth, leaping forward and grabbing onto the back of the thief's shirt. They both tumbled to the ground, causing Link to nearly land on top of him.

The criminal threw Link off of himself, only to glower at the young man when he realized that Link had grabbed the bag that he'd had been carrying. The man lunged forward to take it back, only to stumble to his knees when Link sent his boot flying into the man's shin.

The thief thrusted his elbow forward in an attempt to hit him, only to miss when Link dodged the blow and tried to pull himself to his feet. As quick as a whip, the man in black tripped Link, quickly crawling over after he'd fallen and taking the bag. Before the thief could get away, the young hero regained his stance, grabbing him by his shoulder and whipping him around. Link grabbed the bag as the man sent his fist flying forward, pummeling Link in the cheek and causing him to face plant on the ground, still holding the bag.

It wasn't until then that the sound of guards shuffling past the gate came into range, and the criminal fled the scene, running off as fast as he possibly could as the workers knelt down to look at the young man.

"Are you alright, Sir Link?" the guard who had spoken to him earlier asked in a worried tone, kneeling down to the ground.

Link rolled over onto his back, his face stinging from the combination of blood and dirt that had settled there. He gazed up at the sky, his head spinning. Weakly, he nodded, exhaling through his nose. "I... I've gotta go get him," he spoke up, causing the workers to look around at each other with furrowed brows.

"Maybe you should sit down and drink some water, instead..."

The hero shook his head, pulling himself to his feet with the guard's help. "No, I'm fine. He might be fast, but he only has his legs..."

Link reached into the pouch on his belt, quickly pulling out the horse call that Ilia had given him before and blowing into it, creating the lovely tune that Epona seemed to love so much. Within seconds, the horse came running around the corner, neighing as she went around the guards and moved straight towards Link.

Before the horse could even come to a full stop, the young man had already set the bag down, leapt onto her back, and let out a yell as he rode towards the man in black as fast as he could.

Of course Link knew that the man was a thief, and therefore deserved to be brought to justice. And the workers certainly could carry on without him... so it was for the best, Link thought, that he should go pursue this criminal.

But as he felt the sting of the wind on his skin and the sensation of blood running down his jawline, he had a feeling in his gut that Zelda wouldn't be quite as enthusiastic.


	4. Apples

A/N: I'm SO sorry for how long this took! I was sick for a week, then I was in the hospital for a few weeks, then I was recovering for a few weeks... you get the point. But I'm much better now, so I should be able to get this back on track, as long as school doesn't get in the way! Phew. Anyway, this chapter is rated T for lots of innuendo. And since nobody in the story is willing to say it, I might as well say it in advance to avoid any confusion: a contraceptive is a condom, in case you didn't know. So... keep that in mind. But I do hope you enjoy this chapter! :D I'll do my best to roll chapter 5 out ASAP! Enjoy ^.^

Chapter 4

Link breathed heavily as he rode towards Castle Town, resting a single hand on the unconscious man he'd slung over the back of the horse as he tried to keep his gaze straight ahead of him. He'd managed to knock him out cold with the butt-end of his sword, but the thief certainly wouldn't go down without a fight...

Finally stopping outside of the western entrance to the town, the hero carefully dismounted the horse, wiping some of the dirt off of his forehead and grimacing when he felt the burning sensation of touching the wound. He trudged up the stairs, his muscles aching as he headed towards Castle Town. Once he was inside, he quickly strolled towards the castle, keeping his gaze low as he tried his best not to draw any attention.

As he approached the castle doors, the guards ahead of him glanced at each other, and then back at the hero.

"Sir Link," one of them spoke up, furrowing his brow beneath the heavy helmet, "are you alright? You're looking terrible; you should be sent to the medic, posthaste..."

"No, no, I'm okay," he insisted, trying to wipe some of the blood from his jawline, though it did little to help his appearance. "Really, I'm fine. Uh, but I do require some... assistance."

"Y-Yes, Sir," the other guard spoke up, clearing his throat and standing up tall. "What is it that you need?"

Weakly, Link pointed in the direction that he'd come from. "By the... west entrance. My horse is there... I caught this thief while I was down in Kakariko Village... he's there, now. Can you two go and take care of him?"

They both nodded.

"As you wish, Sir," he replied. "Where would you like for us to take him?"

The young man shook his head, rubbing his temples. "I-I don't know... wherever you usually take criminals. Bring him in for questioning, or something... you're the guards, here..."

"We will, Sir. We may have to ask you some questions about the incident, though..."

He nodded. "Alright... give me a minute; I need to sit down for a bit. Uh... one more thing: Do you know where Zelda is?"

They both looked at each other. "Last we saw, she'd gone up to her office. But that was a while ago, so..."

Link crossed his arms as the guards opened the door. "Should have guessed... thanks, guys. I'll... be in the castle, for a few. You don't need my help, do you?"

"No, Sir," the first guard spoke up quickly, shaking his head. "We'll be fine on our own. Are you certain that you don't need a medic...?"

"I am," he responded, heading inside of the castle. "Thanks, again..."

"It's our honor, Sir."

Link closed the door behind him, letting out a deep sigh as he glanced around the room. He slowly entered the foyer, taking a seat beside the doorway and leaning his head against the wall as he exhaled through his nose. Bringing a hand to his forehead, he felt his eye twitch a bit, unable to ignore his splitting headache.

"Link, is that you?" a voice called from the opposite side of the foyer.

He felt his blood run cold as the footsteps grew closer. Of all the days that his luck could run short...

"Link?!" another voice broke in, and he gazed down at his feet in guilt.

He glanced up to look at them, finding that Zelda was standing in the center of the foyer with Impa was a few steps behind her, her brow furrowed.

"Link!" Zelda cried, rushing towards him with her hands clasped over her mouth.

The hero pushed himself to his feet, frowning slightly as she hurried towards him, her eyes tearing up.

"Link- what happened?!"

"It's okay, Zelda," he tried to calm her down, biting his lip as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm fine. I'm sure it looks a lot worse than it really is..."

"What did you do?!" Impa snapped, scowling as she marched towards him. "Why can't you just stay out of trouble?!"

"Look, I'm sorry," he apologized briskly, narrowing his eyes at the older woman. "I... th-there was a thief in Kakariko. I couldn't let him get away. And I caught him; the guards are going to take him in, now. So there isn't anything to worry about..."

Zelda brushed his bangs back, trying to assess the damage that had been done to his face. "Y-Your eye's swollen up badly," she mustered, her lip quivering as she tried to cool down. "A-And you're face is scraped up, and your cheek is bleeding, and you're covered in dirt..."

"I'm alright, Zelda; I promise."

"You need a medic," she insisted, grabbing onto his wrist and trying to pull him along with her as she crossed the foyer.

"No," he replied firmly, standing his ground. "I'm fine, Zelda. You need to stop worrying about me. This, right here," he pointed to his face, "will wash off and heal. There's absolutely no reason to worry about it, so just calm down..."

"How can I calm down when you always insist upon taking things into your own hands?!" she asked, throwing her head into her hands. "A-And then... this happens! What you did was a selfless act in its own right, but... you can't expect me not to worry about you, Link! Not when you come back to the castle looking like this!"

"You're going to end up getting yourself into big trouble, someday," Impa added in a stern tone, scowling. "Trouble that you won't be able to get out of..."

Link furrowed his brow, knowing that Impa had omitted any mention of lethal harm for Zelda's sake. "I'm sorry, alright? I am. But I wouldn't have caught him otherwise; and he's in the hands of the guards now..."

"You could have just... chased after him, with Epona! And then you could send the guards on him... you didn't have to throw yourself into it, like always!"

The young woman had become a sickly pale color at some point in their conversation. She turned on her heel, her hands shaking as she crossed over to one of the doors. "I-I'm getting you something to wash your face off, and gauze, and..." She continued murmuring to herself as she exited the room.

Impa turned to Link, glaring daggers at him after the door had closed behind the queen. "You can't do this. If anything like this happens again, then you're going to end up sending her into a full-fledged panic attack. She has enough on her plate that she doesn't need to be worrying about you, too."

"I didn't mean for her to see me!" he retorted, crossing his arms. "I was just going to step inside for a few minutes and then head back to Kakariko until I could clean myself up a bit. I didn't want for her to see me like this..."

She knitted her brow. "I know that you couldn't care less about your own well-being," the woman started, "but at least try to take care of yourself for Zelda. It's downright selfish to put someone who loves you that unconditionally through seeing you like this, and I know for a fact that I don't need to teach you, of all people, about being selfless. You think she has the stability to put up with worrying about whether or not you're being safe on the job while she sits here in the castle, unable to help you? Because I don't. I think that she'd rather have you fired from your job for the sake of keeping you safe, because you don't know the first thing about being cautious. And if she couldn't do it soon enough, and one day you never came back from work? She'd never stop blaming herself. I bet that she'd NEVER come out of that office of hers again, if anything ever happened to you. So how about you think about being more careful for her sake, and not necessarily yours?"

The young hero's eyes hardened as he gazed down at the floor in deep thought. "...You're right. It's selfish... She's done so much for me, and it's wrong of me to worry her like that..."

Impa frowned. "Just... do whatever it takes to make her happy, alright? You're the only one who can really do that..."

He opened his mouth to answer, only to purse his lips when he heard the door open once more. Link glanced up at Zelda as she rushed towards him, her brow furrowed as she gripped onto a bowl of water with a washcloth inside, along with some gauze in her other hand.

"I'm sorry I took so long," she apologized, backing Link up so that he was forced to sit in the chair. She knelt down, setting everything on the floor and wringing the water from the washcloth. "I just- it took me a minute to find the gauze, so I..."

"It's okay, Zelda," he insisted, shaking his head as she pressed the wet cloth to his face. He gritted his teeth. "Really. A-And I'm sorry for throwing myself into it... I don't think before I act, and I'm sorry. But I'm not like you, and I always act on a whim. That's my own fault, not yours. I'm sorry..."

She frowned, wiping the dirt and blood from his face. "Don't be sorry. It's nobody's fault but the thief himself; you were just trying to help, as always... I just can't stand to see you hurt like this."

"I know. I didn't want you to see me like this... but I'll be okay. So are we okay?"

Zelda nodded, lowering her gaze as she dipped the cloth back into the warm water. "Yes... of course. We're okay... But I want you to promise me that you'll at least try to be more cautious about these things in the future, okay?"

"I will. I promise."

She nodded once more, wiping the remaining blood from his wound. "Thank you. I know that you tend to take matters into your hands, but... I just want you to be careful when you do so, because terrible things can happen when you least expect it. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh..."

"Not at all," he disagreed, furrowing his brow. "You're right. Life's too short as it is, but for someone to be so reckless... well, wouldn't want for it to be any shorter."

Link frowned when he felt Zelda immediately tense up at his words. There was a flash of pain in her eyes before she quickly dropped her gaze again, setting down the cloth and folding the gauze into a square. She nodded. "...Right. Life's too short..."

He sighed as she pressed the gauze against his cheek, feeling as if he'd said too much.

"I-It isn't bleeding much at all, anymore," she spoke again, obviously eager to change the subject, "but the gauze is medicated, because the last thing we need is for the wound to become infected..."

He nodded, clearing his throat as she grabbed his hand and pressed his palm against the gauze to keep it in place.

"There. That should help it heal up a bit quicker..."

"Thank you, Zelda; I appreciate it."

"It's nothing... it's just what you do for those you care for. I'm sure you'd do the same if I ended up like this; it isn't such a big deal..."

Link shook his head. "No... it is. So thank you, Zelda. And... don't worry about me, okay? Especially not tomorrow. Tomorrow's YOUR day, so I want for you to be happy. Okay?"

"...Okay. I'm sorry for overreacting..."

"You didn't overreact. But let's stop apologizing to each other, alright?"

She smiled slightly. "Alright."

"Excuse me, Sir Link," a guard spoke up from the doorway, clearing his throat, "I have a letter for you, from a young woman named Ashei. Here you go..."

The man handed him the letter, nodding curtly before turning back to the door. "I'll take my leave, now. Farewell for now, Your Majesty, Lady Impa, and Sir Link."

"Thank you," Link replied as Zelda and Impa nodded respectfully.

As the guard exited the room, Link ripped open the envelope, pulling out a folded letter from inside.

"I wonder why Ashei's decided to write you," Zelda thought aloud, folding her hands together and standing up.

He shrugged, unfolding the paper and gazing down at it. "Uh... I guess she and Shad are coming to visit tomorrow to wish you a happy birthday," he explained.

"Is that all it says?"

The young man narrowed his eyes at the writing on the paper before furrowing his brow and picking up the envelope again. He peeked inside, his face burning bright red as he quickly shut the envelope and set it back down.

"What's that?" Impa asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"...I-It's nothing... H-HEY!" he shouted as Impa snatched the letter and envelope from his hands.

"To my favorite blond," Impa read aloud, stepping backwards, "Long time no see, right? I'm sure you're dying to know how our trip to the Temple of Time went, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until tomorrow. That's right; tomorrow, for Zelda's birthday. Because if you forgot about it, then I may have to castrate you. Assuming, of course, that Impa hasn't done that already. And speaking of which, I sent you a gift that Impa will probably appreciate the greatest. Of course, you and Her Majesty will probably appreciate it, too, when you realize how great it is to not be teen parents. With love, Ashei."

Before Link could stop her, Impa opened the envelope, narrowing her eyes when she looked inside. "...Is this a contraceptive?"

Zelda felt her stomach nearly drop into her feet.

"U-Uh... I guess so..." he muttered, his face red. "I mean, I'm not the one who mailed it..."

Impa looked down into the envelope. "...Well, I guess Ashei is more responsible than she seems. I don't condone that you listen to your young adult hormones, but I'd rather you keep this than end up with an infant."

With that, she flicked the envelope and letter back at him, turning on her heel and walking off towards one of the hallways.

As the door clicked shut, the two remained silent, staring at the floor. After a moment, Link cleared his throat, adjusting the gauze on his face.

"...Well... there's no denying that the letter's from Ashei."

"It was a... considerate thought. Though I get the feeling that she wanted Impa to see it in order to save your skin..."

"She's considerate in a really offhanded way. It's kind of her specialty."

"I suppose so. But she means well... and Shad certainly makes up for what she lacks in manners."

"Opposites attract."

"In this case, it's undeniable. But I'm glad that they've decided to visit... I'm always glad to spend time with friends."

He nodded slightly, swallowing hard. "Yeah... b-but I'm sorry for screwing up your birthday, Zelda. It was a stupid thing for me to do..."

She frowned. "I thought that we were finished apologizing to each other..."

"I know... but still..."

"You didn't ruin anything, Link," Zelda insisted, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You could never do that... you're okay, and that's all that matters. The past is in the past, right?"

Link nodded once more. Without speaking, he quickly stood up, causing her to gasp when he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her lips to his.

The young woman's muscles relaxed after a short moment, and she leaned in closer, her chest pressing against his. He grinned into the kiss, dropping the envelope onto the chair behind him and wrapping his other arm around her tightly. After several seconds, he finally pulled away, leaving her breathless as she gazed into his eyes.

"I love you," she murmured, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I know."

They were both silent for a moment. A small grin spread across his face.

"...I'm just joking around. I love you, too. I just wanted to see how you'd react if I said that."

Zelda smiled. "I figured. I don't know what I'd do without your sense of humor..."

"You'd probably laugh more, to begin with..."

Before she could reply, he quickly scooped her up into his arms, causing her to yelp. She giggled as he spun her around, tightening her grip on him.

"You're going to drop me!"

"No way!" he exclaimed, laughing as he slowed down a bit. "I wouldn't drop you if my life depended on it!"

"Promise?" Zelda asked, loosening her grip.

The young man's eyes softened as he gazed down at her, coming to a complete stop and sitting down in the chair. "I swear."

"Swearing is bad, you know," a familiar voice interrupted from the front doorway, causing them both to jolt in surprise.

Zelda sat up quickly, still on his lap. "You said in the letter that... th-that you were coming tomorrow!"

Link snorted. "You'd be the first one to know a thing or two about swearing."

Ashei grinned, leaning against the doorway and taking a bite of the apple that was in her hand. "I've been bored, lately. I was walking around the marketplace and thought I should drop by. Guards aren't stationed outside, though..." She motioned towards the door. "Not very safe."

"Why didn't you just see what Shad is doing?" Link asked, frowning slightly.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. He's been cooped up in his room with his research ever since we left the Temple of Time. I swear, you spend almost two months on something with Shad, and he treats it like a lifetime..."

"He has been studying ancient Hyrule for several years, now," Zelda mentioned, clasping her hands together. "Surely he simply feels that his research is very important to him..."

Ashei shrugged. "I know. He just takes things too seriously, forgets what's around him... you know? Whatever. Anyway, so... you got my letter?"

Link nodded, pulling the envelope out from beneath his leg. "Oh, we got it, alright. Much appreciated, as always..."

She smirked. "It's for your own good. You'll thank me later. That is, if you actually decide to take my advice..."

"...I won't confirm that, nor will I deny it. But, uh... thanks, I guess. And I'm sure you'll be glad to know that Impa saw it, too."

She laughed. "Oh boy, if only I could have seen her face..."

"She's all for it, believe it or not."

Zelda turned beet red. "I-I wouldn't say that," she muttered, gazing down at the floor. "She just... wants to encourage safety for the two of us, that's all. And she knows that you don't listen to a single thing she tells you to do, so you're better off keeping the gift..."

"'The gift'?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear. "You can say it, you know; words can't hurt anyone..."

The young queen bit her lip. "...Y-You know what I'm taking about; it doesn't need to be said..."

"Riiight... you know, we all love you, Zelda, but you really are a bit too innocent for my taste."

Her face nearly deflated. "Surely we can all agree that nobody in this room is innocent, whatsoever..."

"Alright, fine, you're 'proper'. The point is, you're ten times the lady I'll ever be. And Link, you're eleven."

Ashei didn't even have to look at Link to feel the scowl on his face.

"...You know I'm kidding. Like I said in the letter-"

"-You'd castrate me if I forgot Zelda's birthday?"

"Yes, but also-"

"-Teen pregnancy is bad?"

She cracked a grin. "Yeah, that too. But I also said that you're my favorite blond."

"...Isn't Shad sort of blond?"

"...Uh... I don't know ... I don't THINK so? It's like a brownish-reddish-blond, or something..."

Link furrowed his brow. "So...?"

"He's hair-color ambiguous, as far as I'm concerned. For the sake of variety in our friend group, let's just say that he's a redhead."

"Deal."

"By the way, Link- what in the name of Farore happened to your face?"

He frowned slightly. "Oh, right. Long story short, I got involved in something that I should have left alone."

Ashei nodded curtly. "Huh. I know the feeling. You alright now?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. So are you gonna spend the night, since you're coming over tomorrow, anyway?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I don't see why not..."

There was a short silence as Zelda glanced around, biting her lip.

"Oh... I should make sure that the guest room is in appropriate condition for your stay. I'll be upstairs..."

With that, the young queen waved a quick goodbye, rushing through the foyer towards one of the corridors and wandering off somewhere deep within the castle.

Ashei smirked, crossing her arms and looking over at Link. "You haven't forgotten to get her a birthday gift, right?"

Link rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Because I know what she gave you for your birthday, and I thought you might return the favor."

"You mean the sword?"

"Besides the sword; you know what I'm talking about. I mailed you that present for a reason, Link."

The hero's face flooded a deep red. "We- I mean, I don't... I didn't plan to-"

"But you thought about it, right?"

"I-I..."

"Oh, who am I kidding," she laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "You're a teenage boy; of course you've been thinking about it."

Link lowered his gaze, his cheeks bright red.

Ashei clicked her tongue, a smirk still plastered on her face. "Exactly. So I take it you've already gotten her something?"

"I-I'm not great at gift-giving," he started, flustered, "but I got her a couple of things from the jewelry vendor that stopped in Castle Town a couple weeks ago...

She raised her eyebrows. "'A couple things'?"

Link nodded. "Yeah... I was saving one of them for a later date, though. Other than that... I was going to get her some flowers from the market, and maybe a dress, or something... do you think it's enough?"

Her eyes softened slightly. "You don't have to worry about that a single bit. You know Zelda; she's the least materialistic person I know. You could give her a peck on the cheek for her birthday, and she wouldn't bat an eye. But you're a good guy, so you'll spoil her anyway, right? I bet all she wants to do is spend the day with you, anyway..."

He bit his tongue. "Well... she should feel spoiled, you know? With everything she's done for everyone, she deserves to be a little spoiled..."

Ashei nodded, offering him the apple. "Royalty tends to be more than a little spoiled, yeah? She deserves it a lot more than most of the other lazy monarchs I've seen come through here who do nothing but sit on their fat rumps all day, though. But I bet she has a huge bed, right?"

He grinned, taking a bite of the apple. "Enormous."

She hummed, crossing her arms and leaning up against the wall. "I could use a good night's sleep in one of these beds. The bed in the spare room of Shad's place is alright, but it's certainly not fit for royalty."

He smirked, tossing the apple back at her. "And you can't bear to live a peasant's life, right?"

The young woman chuckled, catching the fruit. "I take what I can get, Link."

She took another bite, looking him up and down for a moment. "Your pretty face really has seen better days, hasn't it?"

Link laughed breathily. "You should see the other guy," he muttered sarcastically, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Where is 'the other guy', anyway?"

"The guards are questioning him for thievery. They'll probably need me pretty soon..."

"So was Zelda upset that you got into it with some 'thief'?"

"Oh, she was horrified."

Ashei gave a crooked smile, taking a few steps into the foyer. "Well, if the guy left you looking like that, you'd better be sure your girlfriend isn't the one in charge of his punishment."

She gave a quick wave goodbye, walking towards the kitchen. "I'll be begging Impa to make lunch, if you need me."

And with that, Link was alone in the foyer again, left to his own thoughts.

...

A/N:

P.S.

I got and beat Hyrule Warriors and HOLY CRAP IS IT AMAZING. Seriously. If you can get it, then GET IT.

That is all.


	5. Optimism

A/N: I think my timing was acceptable this time, right? ...Okay, it was good enough for now. Whatever. Anyway, not much to say for this chapter, other than... birthday songs are overrated. But anyway, I do hope that you enjoy this chapter (and future ones, for that matter), and remember to review, if you get the chance! ^.^ Thanks for reading! :D

Chapter 5

The sun poured through the window of the bedroom, shining right into Zelda's tired eyes and rousing her from her sleep. She glanced over beside her, where Link was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until she looked across the room that she noticed him standing at the dresser, peeking inside.

"You're up early," Zelda remarked sleepily, rubbing her eyes and smiling as she sat up.

He jumped, startled, before swiftly closing the drawer and turning towards her. "Did I wake you up?"

She shook her head, covering her mouth and yawning. "No, you didn't."

Link grinned, walking over to her side and grabbing onto her hand, sitting beside her and pecking her on the cheek. "Happy birthday," he muttered, grinning from ear to ear. "I'd make you breakfast, but I wouldn't want to ruin your day."

Zelda stifled a laugh. "Oh, don't be silly-"

Suddenly, the door bursted open with a loud thump, and Ashei stumbled in, carrying a huge tray of food.

"HAAAAAAPPYYYYYY-" she started in singsong as Shad rushed in behind her, followed by Impa.

"You just knocked a chunk out if the wall," Link remarked, furrowing his brow.

"..." She cleared her throat, hurrying over to Zelda. "Happy, happy birthday, from all of us to you! We wish it was our birthday, so we could party, too! WHOO!"

The young queen giggled as Ashei handed over the breakfast tray. "We were just talking about food... Thank you, Ashei, that's very kind."

Shad frowned, glancing over at Ashei. "As I was TRYING to tell you, it's impolite to burst into people's rooms without knocking first..."

"But this was an emergency situation, Shad."

"...Breakfast is an emergency situation?"

"It is when you're really hungry. Plus, this is a birthday breakfast. So... yes."

The scholar rolled his eyes slightly, turning towards Zelda. "Uh... well, I should say happy birthday, I suppose. So... happy birthday, Zelda."

"Thank you, Shad." Zelda looked down at the tray of food, biting her cheek. "It looks delicious, but I don't think I'll be able to eat all of it..."

"Already on it," Ashei replied, grabbing a piece of bacon from the tray and taking a big bite out of it. "I'm always glad to help, of course."

"I already finished making your birthday cake," Impa spoke up, giving her a small smile. "I'm sure you'd much rather wait a bit to eat it, though..."

She nodded, sitting up straight. "I suppose I'll have to..."

Ashei casually strolled over to the dresser, rubbing the supple wood with her thumb. "Huh. I expected that you'd have your own dressing room."

"Unfortunately, yes;" Zelda started dully, playing with her food, "that's Link's dresser."

"Y-Yeah," the young hero spoke up, clearing his throat as he stared over at Ashei. "Just my clothes..."

Ashei raised an eyebrow, noticing his odd behavior. "Right..." she replied, slowly pulling away from the dresser. "Protective there, aren't you? Anyway, you can come downstairs and eat with all of us if you want to, Zelda."

She nodded, smiling warmly. "Certainly. It's always nice to spend time with those you care about..."

"I'm flattered," she answered, grinning. "We love you too, Zelda. So let's all head downstairs and eat, yeah?"

...

"The food is amazing, Impa," Shad remarked politely, taking a drink of water.

"Thank you, Shad," she responded, nodding curtly. "If only every man who came into this castle were as grateful as you are..." She glanced over at Link.

Link chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I've told you a million times how good the food is, Impa..."

"Sure. But when you pair that with a 24/7 snarky attitude, it loses its effect, don't you think?"

"You know I'm always joking with you, Impa."

"Maybe that's the problem."

"Maybe you should stop being so uptight."

"I'll stop being so uptight when you get a decent haircut."

Ashei grinned, taking a stab at the food on her plate. "Ouch."

He snorted. "My hair's practically the same as it was when I met you..."

Impa shrugged. "A gentleman is someone whose hair doesn't go past his ears..."

"A gentleman is someone who holds the door for ladies and treats everyone in a kind manner, no matter how long his hair is."

"...Shots fired," Ashei muttered as she took a sip out of her coffee mug.

"Shad and Link are both gentlemen," the young queen insisted in a gentle voice, glancing between the two of them. "And Link's hair is perfectly fine as it is. Plenty of men choose to grow their hair out a bit rather than keep it short or slick it back. I think Link has nice hair, as it is..."

"But blond is a bit unmanly, don't you think?"

"Okay," Link spoke up, furrowing his brow, "now you're just saying things to spite me."

Impa shrugged. "You do it to me more often than not."

"Touché."

There was a long silence as they all continued to eat their food. Shad glanced around the room awkwardly, clearing his throat. Finally, Impa spoke again.

"So what are you going to be doing today, Zelda?"

"Oh," the young woman started, not having expected to be spoken to, "well... Link and I were going to go out somewhere for a bit... but I suppose that, besides that, I could stay here and spend time with you all..."

"Where are you going out to?" Shad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We hadn't decided on anything," she answered, looking over at Link. "At least, I don't think so..."

The hero shook his head. "Not really. I figured we'd just go out to someplace quiet, away from all the commotion in the town... maybe in Hyrule Field."

"Perhaps you two should be supervised," Impa suggested, taking another bite of her food.

"They're fine, Impa," Ashei answered, sitting back in her chair. "I got them the contraceptive for a reason."

There was another long pause as everyone looked over at Ashei, except for Shad, who took a drink of water and pretended as if he hadn't heard anything.

"...I just meant that there are still a few beasts roaming the Field," the older woman started, frowning, "so they should be careful out there..."

"...Oh. Um... well... I-I'm sure that Link can take care of that, too. But... birth control is important, too. Just saying. Unless you used it already..."

Link shook his head, his cheeks burning bright red as he buried his face into his hands. "N-No..." he murmured, flustered. "I didn't... w-we didn't..."

"Well, that's the only one I have," Ashei reminded him, "so use it wisely."

"Will do," Zelda managed to choke out, trying desperately to hide the blushing of her cheeks.

"...S-So how did the questioning with the guards over that thief go yesterday, Link?" Shad asked, biting his lip.

"Oh," Link breathed out, relieved that the subject had been changed, "uh, it was alright. The guy didn't say much. His name was Sakon... he said he doesn't have any house, though, so he must be pretty poor. Maybe that's why he stole the bombs... I hear they go for a lot of money in other places..."

Zelda frowned, setting her fork down. "It's a shame..."

"What is?"

She shrugged. "How people can change during desperate times in order to save themselves."

Link knitted his brow. "He may not have been such a good person to begin with..."

"You never know..."

The young man exhaled through his nose as Impa stood up, grabbing the empty dishes from the table. Zelda stood up to help, opening the kitchen door for the woman. Link sighed, feeling sorry for hurting the thief so badly.

"Hey," he heard Ashei speak up from beside him, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over at her, and she looked back at him with a rare, soft gaze. "It's alright. You didn't know..."

He bit his lip. "Maybe I should apologize..."

She pulled her hand away. "You didn't do anything wrong. He was just a guy going the wrong way about dealing with a rough time. Don't worry about it; worry about what flowers you're getting Zelda for her birthday."

Slapping his palm to his face, he quickly stood up, pushing in his chair. "Right! U-Uh, hey Zelda?"

"Mmhm?" she asked, closing the door behind her and walking back over to the dining table.

"I need to grab something really quick! Uh, j-just meet me in the Field in a little bit, outside the Southern Gate."

She nodded, smiling sweetly. "Of course. I just have to help Impa with the dishes..."

"Take your time!" he replied, quickly pecking her on the cheek and zipping through the room towards the door. "See you there!"

"See you there," she agreed, nodding as he took off.

...

It was still morning when Link walked out to the Field, a cold breeze blowing through the trees as he came across Zelda sitting down, her fingers mindlessly playing with a blade of grass. He cleared his throat, to which she snapped her head back, beaming when she realized who it was.

He approached her, his hands behind his back. "I got you a few things..."

"Oh..." she breathed out, pursing her lips as he sat down in the grass beside her. "Y-You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to," he replied simply, pulling a bouquet of chrysanthemums from behind his back. "Here."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, accepting the gift and smelling the flowers. "They're beautiful, Link..."

Extending his arm towards her, he held a small box in his hand, and she carefully took it, resting the flowers in her lap as she glanced between him and the box. He nodded slightly, and she looked back to the box, carefully opening it up. Zelda sighed, gazing down at the elegant, silver bangle inside, ornately decorated with small bits of sapphire.

"...I-It's too much, Link... I can't accept this."

"I want you to have it, Zelda. You deserve it. It's a gift, so I want you to have it."

The queen stared down at her lap. "It's just so..."

"Please," he insisted, grabbing onto her hand and closing her fingers around the box. "It's for you."

"..." Zelda closed the box, nodding curtly. "Thank you, Link. I don't know what to say..."

"I got you a dress, too," he blurted out, sitting up tall.

"You're spoiling me, Link..."

He shrugged. "Some people deserve to be spoiled. I-It doesn't matter- it's a gift, Zelda; don't break my heart by not accepting it."

She giggled, playfully nudging him on the arm. "Don't be dramatic..."

Zelda gasped in surprise when he leaned forward, kissing her on the neck.

"Someone has to be," he muttered, grinning as she bit her lip.

"L-Link..." she mumbled, her skin covered in goosebumps as he gently brushed his hand across her bare arm.

He chuckled, pulling away so that his lips were just inches from hers. "Something wrong?"

Zelda shook her head vigorously, exhaling through her nose. "N-No. Not at all..."

"Good..." he muttered, pecking her on the lips and causing her face to deflate slightly.

"Nobody likes a tease..."

Link laughed. "You're the one to talk..."

After a short silence, Link noticed Zelda shivering, and he quickly pulled off the coat that he'd brought with him. "Here," he told her, offering her the jacket.

She frowned. "But you'll be cold..."

"I don't mind it."

"I don't want you to be chilly..."

"Then we'll both wear it."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Well," he started nonchalantly, "it's too big for me, anyway, so if I stretch it out a bit, I'll be able to pull it around both of us."

"Creative," she giggled as he pulled the coat so that it covered both of them, and he threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

The young woman smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're warm..."

Link gently rubbed her arm with his hand, kissing her on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied in a voice like silk, looking up at him and resting a hand on his leg. Slowly, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

He grinned into the kiss, his fingers weaving through her hair as she continued to lock her lips with his. Link heard her breathing hitch when he placed a hand on her thigh. She breathed his name into his ear, resting her hand on his as he gently lowered her onto her back.

Zelda gazed into his sharp blue eyes, the sun shining down on them from above. He smiled, brushing a piece of hair over her shoulder.

"You're so beautiful, Zelda..."

She blushed, flattered. "Thank you, Link. You're very handsome, as well..."

"You know what the best thing about it, is?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned, cocking her head.

"About you," he specified. "You can actually take a compliment, unlike most other girls..."

She bit her tongue. "I don't come off as... arrogant, do I? B-Because I don't mean it-"

"Absolutely not," he interrupted, shaking his head. "But most other girls would insist that they aren't beautiful, rather than just saying thank you. Believe it or not, guys find a girl who can take a compliment really attractive."

Not knowing what to say, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

He chuckled softly, kissing her on the cheek. "Happy birthday."

"I'm so glad I got to spend time with you today," she sighed, lowering her gaze. "I've been ignoring you because of work lately, haven't I?"

His eyes softened. "You're a busy person, Zelda; it's not your fault. I knew what I was getting into... and I don't mind it at all. As long as you're happy, then so am I. So just... be happy, okay?"

She nodded slowly, her throat dry. "I-I'm trying, Link," Zelda managed, her chin resting on his shoulder as she sat up. "It's just... I-I have a lot to focus on, s-so it's hard to think about much of anything, besides work. Happiness sometimes takes far more effort than you would believe..."

"Only if you allow yourself to not be happy in the first place," he added matter-of-factly, pulling away so that he could look her in the eyes. "If it ever gets too overwhelming and you want to take a break from work, then do it. I'll be there for you no matter what. You know that, right?"

After a moment, she pursed her lips, not meeting his gaze. "Of course... I love you so much. And... thank you for being there for me. I just..." The young woman smiled sadly, sighing as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. "I wish that I could spend less time worrying about everything... it's just a necessary burden of being involved in politics, I'm afraid."

"There's nothing to worry about, alright?" He gently wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warmth as he pulled her close and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Remember that the citizens in the kingdom support you, no matter what. I hear them talk, and they trust you. You're the most compassionate person I've ever met, and everyone knows it. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about..."

"You'll stay with me, wont you?" she asked in a shaky voice. "I-If I can't make them all happy, and they..."

"I'm going to protect you, no matter what happens, Zelda. But nothing like that is going to happen, okay? We're going to be just fine."

"I don't want you to risk your life for me ever again," she spoke up suddenly, her voice firm as she pulled away to gaze into his eyes. "Are we clear?"

"Life is fragile, Zelda," he answered stoically, sitting up in the faded grass. "When it comes down to it, you won't be able to do anything about me protecting you. There are people out there who could hurt you, Zelda... and I'll make sure that they don't do so much as step foot inside this kingdom."

"Please, Link," she begged him, her nails digging into her thighs. "I don't want for you to get hurt!"

"And I'd rather break your trust than see you in any sort of danger," he responded bluntly, grabbing onto her wrists and pulling her hands away from her legs. "You're a monarch, Zelda. That makes you a target for the vile people out there who are desperate to make a statement in the political world, and you know that."

"But it doesn't matter, what happens to me!" she cried, her hands shaking as her face began to grow red with frustration. "You deserve better than this, Link! You're a better person than I am, a-and you can't be the one to reap the consequences! You just can't!"

"The kingdom needs you!" Link finally snapped, dropping her hands and clenching his fists. "They don't need me; nobody needs me! It's not just me that wants you to be safe, don't you see?! You give them hope!"

They were both silent as Link grit his teeth, seething with anger.

"Y-You're the one who deserves better!" he shouted, throwing his face into his hands. "You're the most selfless person in the entire kingdom, and everyone here knows that! That's why they depend on you- if anything happened to you, th-then... then they would lose all of their hope... and then they'd have nothing! You don't know how many of the citizens were anxious to know if you were okay during the Invasion! How could you possibly think that nobody needs you!? Everyone needs you!"

After Link finished, anybody in the Field nearby would have been able to hear a pin drop to the ground. The silence flowed around the two like a thick blanket, suffocating what little comfort either of them had left.

Suddenly, the young queen's eyes welled up, and she began to weep into her hands as she slumped over in a heap.

A pain shot straight through Link's chest as he heard the horrid choking noises emitting from her throat. "Oh my God," was the only sentence that he could manage to string together as he gathered Zelda in his arms, pulling her as close as he possibly could.

The sounds of her sobbing filled the Southern Field, echoing throughout the trees. The pain in his chest spread all throughout his body, into every single nerve that he had until it felt as if his limbs would fall off.

"Oh my God," he echoed, his eyes wide in shock as he rocked her in his arms. "I-I didn't mean to..."

Link stared in horror at the grassy field behind her, feeling like a monster for making someone with such a warm heart, someone whom he loved unconditionally, break down in tears.

As the chorus of her bawling racked him with guilt, she went completely limp as he held her, unable to think straight as the tears trickled down her cheeks.

Filled with rage at himself, Link held her tighter, gritting his teeth as her entire body shook.

"I-I'm so sorry, Zelda..." he murmured, unable to express the intense guilt weighing on his mind.

She shook her head, gasping for air as he gently rubbed his hand against her back. Zelda's lip quivered as she closed her eyes, unable to speak.

"I'm so sorry," he mouthed, weaving his fingers through her dark hair. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Zelda clutched onto him, crying into his shoulder as he gently hushed her.

"I-I..." she tried to explain, burying her face into his neck. "It's... n-not your fault..."

He frowned, holding her close. "I shouldn't have yelled at you... you're under a lot of pressure, and I'm a complete idiot..."

"I just... I don't know why I feel like this..."

"You're just sensitive, Zelda..." he replied, using his thumb to lightly wipe the tears from her face. "And I know that. I shouldn't have raised my voice..."

She whimpered, shivering, and he quickly pulled the sleeve of the jacket off of himself, wrapping the coat around her and enveloping her in warmth.

"I need you, Link," she whispered, shivering as his warm arms embraced her. The young woman felt another tear escape her eye, and she hid her face from him, not wanting him to see her cry. "I-I need you here, with me. I can't lose you... I just can't."

He shuddered, wondering how she felt after losing both of her parents just years prior. Of course he knew that he, too, would fear for his loved ones if he'd already had to cope with the grief of loss. How would she be able to function if she lost anybody else who she loved...?

"I'm not going anywhere," he tried to assure her, shaking his head. "The Invasion is over, and we're safe, now. But if any threats come along, then I will stop at nothing to protect you. And I won't fail, because I couldn't possibly live in a world without you in it. We're both going to be just fine..."

Zelda gazed down at the grass below them. "...You worry about how things are too, don't you?"

Link sighed softly. "I only worry about you, Zelda. Because of how hard you work... and it's okay that we don't always get to spend time together, but I just want you to be happy..."

He chuckled sadly, frustratedly closing his eyes and shaking his head. The young man let go of her with one arm, resting his forehead in one hand. "I just... I can't stress enough, how much I want to be assured that you're feeling okay. I stayed home because I wanted to be there for you when you needed me, and I wanted to take care of you. But... I-I just can't stand the thought that, even though I'm here to try and help, you're still having trouble getting out of bed in the morning. Because I really am trying, Zelda... but I need you to try with me, because I can't make you feel better unless you want me to."

"I do want to feel better," she insisted, finally able to catch her breath. "You're the only person who can really make me feel better right now, Link. I'm trying to; I promise..."

"I believe you. And I know that things will get better... once the reconstruction is over and you're not so busy. We just have to be optimistic about it..."

"You're better at being optimistic than I am, I suppose," she added, smiling sadly.

"That's not true." He lifted her chin with his hand, looking her in the eyes as if he were confronting a delicate child. "Just yesterday, Impa was talking about how optimistic you are, even through tough times. It's a great quality in a person, Zelda; there's no use in denying it."

What was left of the ironic smile fell from Zelda's face. "...It's much easier to act optimistic than to be optimistic, Link..."

He chuckled softly, resting his hand against her cheek. "Then you're going to have to put in the extra effort to BE optimistic, aren't you?"

The corners of her lips turned up slightly. He may not have known it, but she certainly knew that he was the optimist of the two of them.

She put her hand on top of his. "It's hard to be in a poor mood with someone as sweet as you around, isn't it?"

"Well, you aren't planning on being in a bad mood on your BIRTHDAY, are you?"

"It depends; you aren't planning on getting beaten up by any thieves today, are you?"

"Excuse you," he started, causing her to giggle, "but if you were to take a look at the thief himself, then you would know that I didn't get 'beaten up', as you so believe. This was not at all a one-sided fight, might I inform you..."

"Oh, so you actually hit him back? I'm amazed that you were able to retaliate with all of the blood blocking your vision..."

"I can take a hit, darling."

"I don't know, that time a couple months back when Ashei punched you REALLY sent you reeling for a bit..."

Zelda laughed as he rolled his eyes, messing up her hair.

"She hits harder than you'd ever believe, Zelda. Nearly broke my jaw, with that one..."

"Oh, trust me," she interjected, "I'd believe it. You may best her in swordsmanship, but she certainly has a knack for-"

"Beating people senseless?"

She laughed. "I suppose so, yes. I'd certainly trust her as my personal bodyguard..."

"She and Impa would make a good team, don't you think?"

"Don't bring up that deadly combination," she remarked, holding onto his hand.

As the sun lingered in the blue sky above them, Zelda knew that her day was going to get better.

As long as she had Link, things would always be better.


	6. The Promise

A/N: HUGE MEGA SUPER DUPER WARNING: Literally, like the last HALF of this chapter is lemon-scented... okay, not-scented; there are full out lemons. I must say this right now: for those of you who enjoy lemons, you should enjoy this chapter, because I REALLY drew it out, this time. For those of you who don't... basically, just skip from the second time-skip near the middle of the chapter to the point where there are 13 paragraphs (more like literary stanzas) left. Yes, that is seriously how long I've drawn out the lemon. Hope you enjoy it, lemon fans. I've made it steamier, as to satisfy your request. However, steamy and tasteful are REALLY hard to balance, so excuse me if it's a crap salad. Anyway... I do hope you enjoy it, and for those who dislike lemons... sorry D: Erm...enjoy O/O

Chapter 6

"Mmm," Ashei muttered, her mouth stuffed with chocolate cake.

"I concur," Shad agreed, staring down at his plate.

"Amazing job, Impa," Ashei praised the older woman, to which she grinned.

"That's why we only hire cooks for banquets and balls. Why take what you don't need?"

"Thank you so much for this, Impa," Zelda told her, smiling sweetly. "It's wonderful..."

"It was my pleasure. Now, if we could get your boyfriend to show his appreciation..."

"Huh?" Link asked suddenly, appearing to have just been snapped out of a trance. "Uh, it's a great cake, Impa. Delicious..."

She raised an eyebrow as Zelda, Shad, and Ashei stood up from the table, collecting the plates and chatting amongst themselves as they left to the kitchen.

The woman's nails pattered against the polished surface of the table. "Something on your mind, boy?"

He shook his head. "Nothing important..."

"I won't have you keeping any secrets from me, young man. I may be getting old, but I'm not blind. Spill it."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I just..." Link shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just... worried."

Impa leaned forward onto the table. "About... what?"

"...Zelda. She... she was crying again, while we were out in the field. She says that she wants to be happy, but I think that the work is what's making her so depressed... I'm really worried."

She furrowed her brow. "You think she's... depressed? She seemed okay to me..."

"She's acting for our sake; I just know it. Zelda needs a break- she can't handle all of this stress at once. Maybe she's just emotional... but something definitely isn't right."

Impa frowned, her eyes filled to the brim with worry. "She hasn't been like this for years. Not since..." She trailed off.

"...The King and Queen?" he asked slowly, clasping his hands together.

Impa closed her eyes, nodding. "Yes. Rest their souls... but when they... passed, Zelda was so young... she just couldn't cope with it. It killed me to see her that way. But she eventually recovered, and though she's been under stress since she took over, she mostly remained stoic about all of it. I feel that the Invasion is what's causing her to feel this way. It's her citizens... and the toll that guilt can take upon someone's entire being is irreversible. All that we can do is help her rebuild, comfort her citizens... whatever she wants to do that'll make her feel slightly as if she's doing something to redeem her citizens hope after losing so much in her absence. She just wants her people to be happy..."

They both sat at the table, and Link swallowed hard, regretting his mention of her citizens in their previous conversation. Surely that was enough to thrust more guilt upon her shoulders...

Impa laughed, throwing her head into her hands. She must have been driven mad...

"I-I just..." she muttered, shaking her head. "You would think that someone so bright, so considerate, would... take better care of herself. I worry about her every single day, but... I never thought it would get to this point..."

"It's my fault," he blurted out, guilt-ridden.

The older woman knitted her brow, sweeping a few gray hairs out of her eyes. "Let's not be ridiculous, Link. You're the solution, if anything... you saved the kingdom from what would have undoubtedly been its end. She's only stressed because of what she couldn't do during the Invasion to protect her people... she gave up her throne, Link. And you made up for it by helping her denizens in their time of need..."

She was cut off as they heard footsteps from outside the door. The room fell silent, and then the door opened, where Zelda lead Shad back inside.

"Ashei's already resting on the couch," Shad remarked, frowning slightly.

Zelda smiled, giggling. "It's no problem, really... she's just full... I'd take a nap too, if I could."

"Why don't you?" Link added in, smiling thoughtfully as he leapt up from his seat.

Impa glanced over at him blankly, wondering how he could possibly change his demeanor so quickly...

"Oh..." she started, rubbing her eyes. "It's not right to fall asleep with guests over..."

"I should be getting home soon, as it is," Shad spoke up, clearing his throat. "I have quite a bit of work to do. Really, the Temple of Time is a fascinating place... Oh, but I could go on for days about that. Uh, thank you for having us over, Zelda; I truly appreciate it."

"It's no issue, really," she replied, nodding with a small smile. "You can stop by any time you like, if you so decide."

"We'll certainly try to," he answered politely, beaming at them all. "But I should go get Ashei so we can head back home... thank you, again!"

The young scholar exited the room, leaving the three alone.

Zelda turned on her heel, her eyes bright. "Did I miss anything extraordinary while I was in the kitchen?"

"I'm afraid not," Impa chuckled, standing up. "If you're looking for extraordinary, you'll just have to listen to someone else's conversations."

"You're both plenty extraordinary," Zelda smiled, walking over and pecking them both on the cheek. "Thank you for such a wonderful day... I love you both so much..."

"We love you too, sweetie," Impa responded warmly, her lips curled into a gentle smile.

It was probably the nicest that Link had ever heard Impa speak, in truth.

"Happy Birthday," Link told her gently, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace.

She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

Impa gave a half smirk. "I'll make some hot chocolate," she told them, trailing off as she made her way into the kitchen.

Link gently swayed the young queen in his arms, back and forth in a sort of slow dance.

Although she felt the need to speak, she couldn't bring herself to break the silence, so she remained soundless, dreamily swaying to the sound of the clock on the wall.

At some point in their movement, the swaying turned into a dance, and Link held her hand in his, another hand on her waist as they waltzed around the room. She giggled as he spun her around, the skirt of her dress twirling with her.

"You're a wonderful dancer," she told him, laughing as he dipped her down towards the floor.

"I learned from the best," he shrugged, grinning as she clasped onto his hand tighter.

They were interrupted when they heard noise from the other side of the door, and they slowed down, coming to a full stop as Shad and Ashei entered the room.

Ashei yawned, her hair slightly ruffled from sleeping on the couch. "It was good visiting you three," she murmured, grinning tiredly. "Must get lonely up in these big towers, huh? Guess the surplus space is a downside to being wealthy. I'll certainly miss the mattresses here, though..."

"You can come back any time you'd like," Zelda answered, smiling as Shad and Ashei both pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm gonna have to," she chuckled, leading Shad towards the door. "See you later..."

"Goodbye!" they both answered as the two exited the room, leaving them alone again.

There was silence as the two stood still, pondering what to do next.

"...How about we go upstairs while we wait for the hot chocolate?" Link suggested, standing up tall. "After all, I never got to show you the dress I bought you..."

She grinned, laughing. "If you insist..." They started towards the foyer. "I still think that the bangle and flowers were more than enough, though..."

"I'm allowed to spoil you, okay? You're just gonna have to deal with it."

Zelda giggled. "I suppose so..."

...

"Oh my goodness," she gasped, gently picking up the short, white, flouncy summer dress where it hung in Link's wardrobe.

Not that it was his, of course...

"It's gorgeous, Link..."

He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "You won't be able to wear it for a while, but I thought you might like it..."

"I love it," she replied, grinning as she leaned forward and pecked him on the lips. "Thank you so much, Link..."

The young man smiled, crossing his arms. "I'm glad you like it..."

"The only problem is," she started, "I don't know if it fits or not..."

"You could try it on," he remarked, nodding. "If it doesn't fit, I can take it back and exchange it for another one..."

"Sure," she answered, "but also, Impa isn't one to give fashion advice..."

Zelda shrugged, unzipping the dress. "I suppose I'll just have to model it for you."

Link's arms went limp as his jaw dropped open. "You... what?"

She turned her back to him, tossing her hair over her shoulder so that the back of her dress was exposed. "A little help?"

He swallowed hard, his face flushing slightly. "S-Sure..."

Without speaking, he stepped over to her, resting a hand against her back as he slowly unzipped the bodice of her dress.

Zelda smirked, pulling the dress down and bending down to step out of the garment, leaving her in her undergarments.

He gulped, biting his lip as she stepped into the new dress, pulling her arms through the sleeves and grinning as he zipped the back of the dress up.

"So?" she asked, spinning around to face him. "How does it look?"

"Painfully stunning," he breathed out, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She smiled, her hands finding their way to his shoulders as Impa entered the room, carrying a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Here you go, lovebirds," the woman exhaled, setting the tray down. "I'm gonna head to bed, alright? Don't stay up all night."

"Whatever you say, Mom," Link snorted, only to be greeted with a swift smack across the back of the head.

"Don't be smart with me," Impa scowled as Link chuckled, wincing slightly as he rubbed his head.

"Impa," Zelda spoke up, frowning slightly.

She shrugged. "I'm not taking back talk from your boyfriend." Impa crossed back to the door, exiting the room. "Nice dress, by the way."

Once they were alone, Link snickered, sitting back. "Maybe we should get some sleep."

Zelda laughed. "Maybe..."

...

The dim moonlight filled the room as Link lied down on his back, gazing up at the high ceiling. He let out a sigh, feeling restless as he rolled over to face Zelda, spooning her. Unsure of whether or not she had fallen asleep yet, he gently wrapped an arm around her, closing his eyes.

She made a sort of tired sigh as she gripped onto the blanket, grinding up against his pelvis.

Having stripped to his boxers, Link grit his teeth, a lump caught in the back of his throat as she rubbed up against him through the thin material. Feeling his desire grow, Link scooted back slightly, biting his lip as she placed her hand on his, somewhat awake.

He muttered something under his breath as she glanced back at him, only able to see his silhouette in the darkness.

"You're awake?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Link nodded vigorously, his eyes closed as she rubbed up against him. "Y-Yeah, I'm awake..."

"What's the matter?" she asked, oblivious to the situation.

"I-I..." he stammered, his face bright red as he pulled the blanket over himself. "J-Just go back to sleep..."

She frowned, leaning forward onto him. "Aren't you feeling well?" she questioned.

Link groaned aloud when she rested a hand on his rock hard lap, only to realize that it wasn't his leg.

"O-Oh..." she murmured, blushing as he threw his head back. "I-I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine," he managed, scooting back until he was sitting up against the bed frame. "I just... you were moving against me, and... I didn't mean to...

She shook her head, her eyes taking on a sharp gaze in the dim room as she leaned forward, pressing her chest to his and connecting their lips. Her hand grazed him again, and he inhaled sharply.

Unable to think straight, his hand trailed down her body, snaking underneath the short skirt of the nightgown and ending up between her legs.

"O-Oh!" she exclaimed, closing her eyes tightly and straddling him as her hips bucked unconsciously.

His lips attacked her neck as she pressed against him, her breathing shallow. His hand gently massaged her, and she arched her back, moaning.

"L-Link..." she heaved, her eyes focusing on him through the darkness. He closed his eyes, leaning forward and crashing his lips against hers as she gently moaned into the kiss.

Link felt her hands trail down his torso, across his abdomen until they reached the waistband of his boxers. He bit his lip again as she pulled the waistband down to his thighs, her lips against his as she gripped onto him.

He groaned, shuddering as he pulled his hand out from under her, placing it instead on top of hers.

"I-I don't..." she murmured, her face bright red as she regretted letting her inexperience show.

He shook his head, guiding her hand with his and closing his eyes tightly. After a while, he let go of her hand, and she continued on, gazing up at him with her hand wrapped around him.

"Unh..." he sighed, his hand hiking up her skirt as he leaned his head back.

Zelda's motions continued for the next few minutes until Link stopped her.

He grabbed onto her hand, ceasing her movement. "No more," he managed, breathing heavily.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly, her eyes worried as she pulled her hand away.

"That would be... impossible," he muttered between his teeth, finally opening his eyes. "I just... I-I want to..."

"Oh..." she responded, her chest heaving. "Y-Yes..." Quickly, she pulled her nightgown over her head, throwing it on the floor somewhere and leaning forward to lock her lips with his again, her arms wrapped around his neck.

He rested his hands on her waist, humming into the kiss as she tugged his boxers all the way off, dropping them as he gently toyed with the waistband of her undergarments.

The young queen pursed her lips, undoing the clasp of her bra and pulling it off of herself. She leaned against him, lifting her legs up so that he could remove the rest of her clothes.

Link reached over to the dresser beside the bed, fumbling around through the drawer until he grabbed onto something. Her lips grazed his jawline as he unwrapped it.

"Ashei's proactivity prevails," he muttered under his breath, barely able to believe what was happening. She managed a grin as she helped him put it on, her lips against his.

He gazed up at her, the moonlight glowing on her bare skin as she rested her hand against his chest, her dark brunette hair falling behind her shoulders. She scooted forward, straddling his hips. They both sighed in relief as he pushed himself into her, his hand holding onto her inner thigh.

Ever so slowly, she began to rock against him, exhaling through her nose. She leaned forward, her hair tickling his chest as he grabbed onto her hips.

She moaned his name, her voice and his breathing the only sounds in the dead of night.

Suddenly, it occurred to him just how many guards patrolled the castle at night.

"They're gonna hear us," he murmured, his eyes closed as he threw his head back against the pillow.

Zelda nodded understandingly, pursing her lips tightly. A small squeak escaped her throat as he moved his hands up her torso, sitting up. Her breath hitched when he planted a kiss on her collarbone, trailing his lips down until he reached her navel.

Suddenly, he thrusted into her a bit harder, and she let out a yelp. Quickly, she bit her hand to keep quiet, exhaling through her nose.

He held onto her arms, gently pulling her closer. Biting her tongue, Zelda pressed her hands to his chest, breathing heavily as he rolled his hips against hers.

They carried on as quietly as they could, though Link found that he was not the main contributor to the noise issue. Still, he prayed that nobody investigated the sound, bringing his lips to hers in the hopes that it would muffle her moaning.

It was just a few short minutes later when she gripped onto the headboard of the bed, a loud groan escaping her lungs as her entire body shook. He quickly clamped his hand over her mouth, and Zelda gripped onto his arm with one hand, riding it out as a sheen of sweat began to appear on her forehead.

Exhausted, she finally calmed down, her chest heaving. He kept a constant pace over the next couple of minutes, his lips against her ear.

"I-I'm..." he sputtered out, unable to finish his sentence as he felt himself finally begin to let go. The young man groaned, biting his lip and managing a few more thrusts before his body began to go limp, and she practically collapsed on top of him.

They lie there in silence for the next few moments, breathing heavily as she rested her head to his chest, and he gazed up at the dark ceiling. Breathlessly, he wrapped his arms around her. Zelda buried her face into the crook of his neck weakly, and Link pulled the blanket over the two of them, gently pecking her on the forehead.

"I love you," she breathed out, her legs still jittering slightly as he snuggled up against her.

"I love you, too," he told her, his blonde hair tangled in knots from the sweat on his scalp. "And...we're going to be okay. You know that, right?"

She nodded.

"You know why?" he asked.

"Because sex is a sure-fire way to keep the love alive?"

He grinned slightly. "...Because... neither of us ever gives up. I'm stubborn, and you're perseverant... and no matter what we face, we'll make it work. You trust me, right?"

Zelda paused for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "...Whole-heartedly. Do you trust me, too?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. It's a good thing we trust each other, really..."

"Why is that?" she asked, grinning. "Did you cheat already?"

Link rolled his eyes, chuckling. "No... but trust is particularly important in our case."

She was silent as she gazed up at him, but he kept his eyes on the ceiling. Zelda felt his next words coming, but it still made her heart skip a beat.

Link smiled slightly. "I'm going to marry you, someday."


	7. Cheats and Heroes

A/N: Okay, new plan of action: upload chapters whenever I actually finish them instead of making a schedule. Because I rolled this one out much faster than usual. But eh. Hope you liked the lemon, because I got no feedback on the last chapter. And that's always a great sign ;D Hehe. But in all seriousness, it's a huge step out of my comfort zone, so I feel you. Anyway, more drama awaits, so read on! Or don't. That's cool, too. But... I'd appreciate it if you'd review and tell me what you think! :D Enjoy! ^.^

Chapter 7

Link trudged down the castle corridor, too tired to function as he dragged his hand along the wall. Silently, he wished that he had slept in later rather than getting out of bed in the first place...

He yawned, turning the corner and ending up crossing through the foyer, towards the kitchen. There, he found Impa rummaging through the cupboards. Link walked up to the counter, leaning on it sleepily and halfheartedly pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Have you started the coffee pot, yet?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

She barely glanced his way. "Yeah, it's on already..."

There was a long, awkward silence as she dug through the cupboards, pulling out a few spices and setting them on the counter.

"...So why didn't you just stay in bed?"

He frowned. "Because I have to be awake when Zelda wakes up. If I'm not, then she'll go straight back to work and I won't ever be able to pull her away. So I was going to go out to Castle Town with her for the day. I thought that maybe I could show her how well her citizens were doing... it could change her thoughts about the whole situation."

The woman shrugged. "I... suppose, it could..."

There was another long silence as she took the coffee off of the stove, grabbing a couple of mugs from the cupboard.

Noticing the silence, Link spoke up.

"Something up, Impa?"

She poured the coffee into the two mugs, knitting her brow. "Why exactly do you think so?"

He shrugged as she set the mugs down on the counter across from him. "I don't know," he replied, "you're just... quiet, today. What's wrong?"

Impa gazed at him coldly, not blinking. She slid the mug across the counter towards him forcefully. "I just hope you used protection."

His draw dropped open as the mug slid past him, falling off the counter and crashing onto the floor with a loud shattering sound.

"Y-You what?!"

"Don't play dumb with me, young man," she retorted, glowering at him. "You know what you did."

"H-How did you...?!"

"Any girl with a voice as high-pitched as Zelda's is easy to hear, even if they aren't being particularly noisy," she remarked. Impa picked up her mug, rolling her eyes. "That's not to say that she wasn't being particularly noisy, though... I'm not cleaning that up, by the way."

"I told her to be quiet..." he muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Oh dear," a voice interjected from the doorway. They both glanced over to find Zelda standing there, gazing down at the broken coffee mug. "What happened?"

"You're boyfriend's a klutz, partially," Impa answered, looking over at him as he quietly crossed towards the broom. "Not to mention the fact that I just dropped some news on him."

"What is it?" Zelda asked, frowning.

"Well, it certainly isn't breaking news, but you two aren't as discreet as you think you are."

The young queen felt her blood run cold. "...Y-You..."

"Are you surprised?" she scoffed, leaning against the counter as Link swept up the mess.

"I-Impa..."

"Did you use protection?" she asked sternly, narrowing her eyes.

Zelda's entire face turned a deep crimson, and she gazed down at the floor. "Y-Yes," she managed, "yes, we did..."

"Good," Impa replied, nodding curtly. "You do understand that I ask these things for your own benefit, don't you?"

"Yes, I know... th-thank you, Impa..."

"You're welcome. Now, about today- Zelda, I'll take care of the paperwork that I can take care of. Link was right; you are to take a break from your duties and visit your citizens in Castle Town."

Zelda frowned. "Impa," she started, "I have quite a few things to take care of, and I couldn't possibly afford to-"

"Your people care about you a great deal," she told her sternly, "and I'm certain that they'd like to wish you a happy birthday. Now that you are of legal age, you have more power over the decisions made for your kingdom, and they want answers. You want to be a people-pleaser? Go talk to your denizens."

The queen considered this for a moment. "I... suppose that you're right. I should make sure that they're all feeling alright..."

"Perfect," Impa stated firmly, a small smirk forming on her lips. "You'd best get ready, then."

...

"It's such a beautiful day..." Zelda sighed, the sun beaming down on them both as they strolled through the market.

Link nodded, rubbing his face. "Mmhm. Better relish it; the snow's coming soon..."

"I don't mind the snow," she replied, smiling warmly as she gazed up at the sky. "I think that winter is a beautiful season..."

"Oh," he started, "so you WOULDN'T mind if I buried your face in snow...?"

She grinned. "Is that a threat?"

He shrugged innocently. "I dunno... whatever happens happens..."

"Link!" Zelda laughed, playfully nudging him on the arm.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. They both came to a stop as they were approached by a young girl with blonde pigtails, carrying a large woven basket.

"Hello, Link," she greeted him firmly, barely noticing the young queen.

"Hey, Agitha," he replied, smiling and nodding politely. "How are you?"

She shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. But I couldn't help but remember that you owe me some money for that dragonfly double you sold me..."

"Oh," he replied, his face deflating slightly. He reached into the pocket on his belt, digging through the pouch and pulling out a red rupee. "Right. Here you go."

"Thank you!" she answered cheerfully, smiling as she took the money from him and dropped it into her basket. "I'm glad that's taken care of!"

She turned towards Zelda, finally noticing her.

The young woman smiled kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Agitha."

The girl giggled, curtsying. "I'm glad to meet you too, Your Majesty. You see," she pointed to the butterfly ornament in her hair, "I'm a royal, too; I am Agitha, Princess of the Bug Kingdom!"

The queen smiled, shaking her hand. "I'm glad to hear it."

The girl smiled for a moment before clearing her throat and nodding. "I must return to the Bug Kingdom. It was wonderful meeting you, though; we should have a tea party, sometime!"

She waved goodbye, trotting off towards the southern wing of Castle Town.

Zelda turned towards Link, grinning. "She's a sweet girl."

He chuckled. "Strange, but definitely sweet."

They carried on towards western Castle Town, nodding politely to those who greeted them.

"So..." Zelda started in a lower register, biting her lip, "about last night..."

His eyes widened slightly. "It wasn't a mistake, was it? I know you were tired, but I thought that you really wanted to-"

"N-No, no," she interrupted, shaking her head vigorously. "I did want to. That's not what I mean. I was talking about... what you said, a little while before you fell asleep."

"Oh..." he replied, racking his brain. "I'm a little foggy on what happened right before I fell asleep. I didn't make a fool of myself, did I? Because I'm no stranger to that."

She laughed breathily. "No, of course not. It's just... you said that you-"

Zelda was interrupted when they heard a commotion from inside the STAR Game tent just beside them. They both looked at each other, nodding curtly as they crossed over to the tent. Zelda lead Link inside, biting her cheek as she looked around the large place.

A young man dressed in green with a clock around his neck was kneeling on the floor inside the large center of the room, and he poked his head up, quickly running over. His jaw dropped when he noticed Zelda, and he quickly fell to one knee, bowing his head.

"Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, looking up at her. "It's an honor to have you here! And-"

He looked over at Link, a scowl instantly taking over his facial expression.

"Oh," he muttered, standing up and crossing his arms. "It's you. Didn't think you'd come back here..."

"Hey, Purlo," Link responded dully, crossing his arms, as well. "I see you haven't gone out of business, yet. Shocking, really."

Zelda furrowed her brow, glancing back at Link. Purlo shook his head, wiping the grimace from his face. He swiftly grabbed onto Zelda's arm.

"You truly are as stunning as they say you are, if not even more so," he complimented her, pecking her on the hand. "It truly is a pleasure to meet such a beauty as you, Queen Zelda."

Link gave him a look of utter disdain, dramatically rolling his eyes. "As charming and dreamy as that is, Purlo," he started, his voice full of disgust, "she's not interested."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why, obviously if this fine lady has decided to visit this tent, then she has some interest in my business."

"It's adorable that you consider yourself a businessman, but we're only here because of all of the noise that you were making a couple of minutes ago."

"Link," Zelda finally spoke up, turning to him with a sharp gaze, "I think you're being a bit unfair..."

"He's a scam artist, Zelda!" he exclaimed, glaring at Purlo. "He only has a grudge against me because I beat his stupid game three times."

The man flashed him a cocky smile. "Oh, but after this remodeling, you'll never be able to finish this game again! I'm making yet another version of the STAR Game! You won't beat it this time!"

"That's because you made it virtually unbeatable without the Clawshots," he retorted, snorting. "That's how you thieve people out of their money!"

"Oh, give me a break," Purlo groaned, waving at him dismissively. "You got lucky, Big Shot. You're all about luck and no skill..." He chuckled, smoothly walking back over to the queen. "That's how he managed to win over a lady as dazzling as you..."

Zelda knitted her brow, looking back at Link.

The hero scoffed, turning on his heel. "You're just bad news, Purlo. Come on, Zel, we're out of he-"

Suddenly, a familiar face popped into the tent, followed by a couple more. Link raised his eyebrows.

"Link?" Ilia asked, furrowing her brow. "I wasn't expecting you to be here; I was going to come visit you in just a few minutes..."

"You know this guy?" Purlo asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"THIS is the guy you're with?!" Ashei barked, having just entered the tent with Shad behind her.

"Yes," she answered, passing Zelda and standing beside him. "This is Purlo, owner of the STAR Game. Purlo, that's Link, Ashei, and Sha-"

"Yeah, I know who they are," he groaned, taking a step back. "They're all nuts, if you ask me."

Shad frowned. "What did I do...?"

"You!" Ashei growled, stomping towards Purlo. "You're still running this game, you cheat?! I thought I told you to call it off!"

Zelda bit her lip, utterly confused.

"Wait," Link broke in, putting his hands up. "Ilia, how do you know Purlo?"

The Ordonian girl took a deep breath, folding her arms. "Well... I was going to wait to tell you, but... he and I are... seeing each other."

"Isn't he a little old for you?" Ashei asked, still glaring at Purlo.

"You're, like, three years older than Shad!"

"That's the least of the issue, here," Link spoke up, stepping forward and grabbing onto Zelda's hand. "Ilia, why are you dating this guy?"

"Purlo is a gentleman," she answered coldly, grabbing onto his arm. "And he's very smart, actually."

"-Smart and able to con people out of their rupees are two different things..." Shad muttered, pushing up his glasses.

"Hey!" Purlo shouted. "Shut it, four-eyes!"

Ashei's eyes darkened as she clenched her fists at her sides, and Link and Zelda both took a step back.

"You back off!" Ashei snapped, leaning forward until her face was just inches from his.

He rolled his eyes. "What, you have feelings for him? Or are you just trying to act like you actually have a heart?"

"I'd sooner make you swallow your teeth than ever show you that I have a heart!" she growled, shoving him against the grate of the wall. "You don't deserve to see that side of anyone!"

He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted when she delivered to him a swift kick in the groin. Shad and Link both winced as Purlo doubled over, groaning loudly as Ashei stormed towards the tent entrance.

"Y-You little-!"

"I'm surprised that hurt," she yelled at the top of her lungs, exiting the tent, "because you need to GROW A PAIR!"

Ilia rested her hand on Purlo's shoulder, frowning as he remained slumped over on the ground.

Conflicted, Zelda glanced between Purlo and the exit with a furrowed brow, her mouth agape. She let go of Link's hand, bolting after Ashei and leaving the four of them alone in the tent.

Ilia helped Purlo to his feet, his eyes still watering as she pecked him on the cheek, dashing off after Zelda and Ashei with a scowl.

Link glanced over at Shad, who remained still. The scholar crossed his arms, clearing his throat. "Best to leave Ash alone for now..."

The hero nodded understandingly.

Purlo exhaled deeply, still gritting his teeth. "Ugh..." he muttered, his eyes shut tightly, "that girl's got a leg like a cannon..."

"Or maybe you just have a weak pair of chops," Shad murmured, crossing his arms.

Purlo glowered at him, leaning up against the wall. "I don't get what you all have against me," he snorted, shaking his head. "All I'm doing is making a living, and you treat me like some sort of criminal..."

"That's because you're a cheat," Link started, stepping towards him. "And...you need to leave Ilia alone."

He rolled his eyes, stepping past Link and adjusting the clock around his neck. "What, do you like Ilia, too? Is one hot girlfriend not enough for you, or what?"

"I've been friends with Ilia since we were both just kids," he spoke up, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him around. "You just met her, and speaking as her friend, Ilia deserves a lot better."

"What?" he asked, giving a fake laugh. "Like you?"

"No," he answered stoically, his eyes sharp. "Like anyone but you."

"Well, it's too bad, Big Shot," Purlo replied condescendingly, patting him on the arm. "Ilia likes me, and there's not much you can do for it..."

"What do you want with her, anyway?" he asked bitterly, his eyes dark.

He gave the young hero an odd sort of look. "Are you asking me why I like to date girls, or...?"

"Guys like you don't look for long-term relationships. Just leave Ilia alone, alright? She doesn't need her heart broken by some phony like you..."

"Buzz off," he grunted, pushing past Link and heading towards the exit. Before he could leave, Shad grabbed him by the arm.

Link gazed over at Shad, surprised by his unusual boldness.

"Link is right," the scholar added firmly, letting go of his arm. "Ilia's a nice girl. She's too innocent for you..."

Purlo scoffed, ignoring them both and exiting the tent. Link and Shad looked at each other before quickly following after him.

They followed him towards the center of Castle Town, where he met up with the three girls. Ilia argued with Ashei as Zelda tried, to no avail, to stop them. They arrived just in time for Shad to pull Ashei away from Ilia as she grabbed her by the collar of the shirt.

"Ash, stop it!" Shad spoke up firmly, grabbing her by the arm.

Purlo stepped beside Ilia, glaring over at them. "What's the matter with you?"

"She has no right to hurt you like that!" Ilia barked, glancing between him and Ashei.

"No right?" Ashei laughed coldly, narrowing her eyes. "Oh, please! He scams people out of all of their money, he ruins people's lives- I have EVERY right!"

"Hey, back off!" Purlo snapped, marching towards Ashei.

She leaned into his face, and he went to push her away, only to be swiftly interrupted when Shad gripped onto his arm, forcefully shoving him away from her.

"Leave her alone, Purlo," he growled, stepping in front of Ashei.

He laughed, clenching his fists at his sides. "Stepping in for your girl? Gentlemanly." He pulled his fist back, but never got the chance to swing.

Quickly, Zelda grabbed him by the shoulder, whipping Purlo around to face her.

"Don't you dare touch him!" she barked, leaning into Purlo's face with a powerful glare. She poked him in the chest, backing him up away from Shad. "Unless you'd like to tell your story to the guards, I suggest that you don't even CONSIDER laying a finger on anyone! Am I clear?!"

Purlo flinched at her words, cowering. "Y-Your Majesty," he muttered, laughing nervously, "let's not do anything rash... I just lost my head for a moment there. Listen; let's all head out for lunch, alright? " He grabbed onto her hand, carefully lowering it away from him. "Wh-What do you say?"

"I think it sounds great," Ilia chimed in supportively, crossing her arms.

Zelda relaxed slightly, though she still kept her guard up. "I don't see why not," she murmured, looking into his eyes impassively. "I'm certain that you can afford to pay for the six of us..."

He clenched his fists for a moment, closing his eyes in aggravation. Purlo shook his head, gritting his teeth. "Certainly YOU could afford to pay for it as well, My Queen..."

"Sure," she replied, "but I don't con people out of their money, do I? Not to mention the fact that you certainly owe everyone an apology..."

His face deflated as she walked off, leading the group towards Telma's Bar. Seeing that Ilia was already following Zelda, Purlo trailed behind, walking beside Link.

"I see why you like the queen so much," he muttered, gazing at her as she walked off. "That mettle in her... it's unbelievably attractive. Why'd she think to sleep with a guy like you?"

Link narrowed his eyes, knowing that he was trying to get on his nerves.

"Keep walking, Buddy," he replied, picking up his pace and leaving Purlo behind.

...

The group sat in silence as they all stared at each other, barely touching their food.

Ilia tapped her nails against the table, clearing her throat as she leaned back in her seat.

"...So how did you two meet?" Ashei asked warily, pointing at Purlo and Ilia with her fork.

He shrugged, pulling his hood down and revealing his short, dark brown hair. "Nothing special. We just kind of... bumped into each other in the Castle Town market. Hit it off... started dating a while after that. Simple, really. I should ask the same about you and your geek."

She narrowed her eyes, leaning onto the table. "That's not an official thing, as it is, so..."

"So what, are you just friends with benefits, or something?"

Shad choked on his drink as Ashei narrowed her eyes, her mouth agape. "Listen here, douche-!"

"Hey," Zelda interrupted them sternly, trying her best to keep the peace. "Let's not make things worse, alright?"

"Then tell this moron to mind his own business!" she replied, rubbing her temples.

"Oh, like you know anything about minding your own business!" Ilia retorted, shaking her head. "You've invaded Link and Zelda's privacy multiple times!"

"I was just joking!" Ashei answered, obviously fed up. "There's a line to be crossed, and I know that. Your boyfriend obviously doesn't!"

"So you're NOT friends with benefits?"

"NO!"

"That's all I asked."

"It's none of your business, anyway!"

"I just like to be in the loop, you know."

"I SHOULD UPPERCUT YOU OUT OF THE LOOP, BUSYBODY!"

"Just ignore it, Ash," Shad muttered under his breath, exasperated.

Purlo smirked, leaning back in his seat. "Cute nickname."

Ashei rolled her eyes, stabbing her food with her fork. "Step off, Jester."

Purlo opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Link.

"Are you sure you want to know about Shad and Ashei so that you're in the loop?" he asked nonchalantly, picking at his food. "Because it seems more like you want to know if Ashei is available."

Ilia glanced over at Purlo with stoic eyes as he choked on his words, stumbling.

"Don't be stupid," Purlo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm with Ilia; you know that... why would I be interested in a girl who kicked me in the groin? That's a bit twisted, don't you think?"

"No more twisted than your arm, right now," he replied, shrugging as he took a bite of food.

"Funny," he snorted, forcing a laugh.

They all fell silent as Telma casually strolled over, holding a pitcher of water. She pursed her lips, walking over to Link and Zelda and refilling their glasses, first.

Telma leaned in close between the two as Ashei and Purlo rambled on.

"What's the matter with Ash, now?" she asked cautiously, glancing between Zelda and Link. "Is it this new young man's fault?"

The hero frowned, resting his hand on the table. "Purlo runs the STAR Game," he whispered, looking over to them. "Apparently, Ashei doesn't really take a liking to crooks..."

Telma raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I think she mentioned him a while back. Figured it was her drunken stupor getting the best of her... guess he's a real guy. What do you think of him?"

Zelda rubbed the back of her neck as Link rolled his eyes, taking a drink of water. "Same as Ashei... doesn't help that he's dating Ilia."

Telma gasped, obviously intrigued by the gossip. "Not sweet little Ilia..." She shook her head, patting Link on the shoulder and clearing her throat. "You and I, we've gotta keep an eye on him. Deal?"

"Deal," he nodded, keeping his gaze on Purlo and leaning back in his chair.

Telma walked off towards the counter as Zelda exhaled through her nose, rubbing her forehead. She certainly hadn't expected to get involved in this during a simple day in town...

But she might as well be able to form her own opinion.

"So, Purlo," Zelda spoke up, sitting up tall. "Are you from Castle Town?"

He raised his eyebrows, clearing his throat. "Uh..." he stumbled over his words, not having expected to be asked any questions, "no, I moved here a few months back..."

She folded her hands together. "Did you have any reason for moving to Hyrule?"

He stifled a laugh. "Should I feel pressured, being asked that by the queen? Is this some sort of survey?"

She shook her head, her eyes having hardened. "No... I'm just curious. You seem confident in your business, after all..."

Purlo shrugged. "Castle Town has a fairly decent economy... not to mention the fact that the prices when I moved here were ridiculously high. I figured if I could get business anywhere, it'd be here."

"I overheard you saying you'd make a killing off this town," Link spoke up matter-of-factly.

"I never said anything of the sort!" he retorted defensively, crossing his arms. "(How did he know that I...)"

"And you're allergic to dogs, right?"

"How could you possibly-?!"

Zelda gently tapped his foot with hers beneath the table, urging him to stop. Link gave a half smirk, glancing over at her.

"You'll give him a heart-attack," she murmured.

"I could live with that."

"Don't."

"As delicious as this food is," Link spoke up louder, setting his fork down, "I'm absolutely stuffed."

Ashei looked over at Telma. "Purlo has the check, just so you know..."

"Sure thing," the woman nodded cheerfully, already prepared for their departure. She walked over to Purlo, casually setting the check down in front of him.

He grimaced. "But... but Link was the only one who even ate! Why should I pay for all of this...?"

"Because you have the check, honey," she added firmly, waving dismissively and walking off towards the back room.

Purlo glared down at the table for a moment before quickly standing up. Before he could run off, Ashei grabbed him by the arm, forcefully sitting him back down at the table.

"I don't think so, Pal. Bring out that wallet."

He grumbled to himself as Ashei managed a small grin, sitting back in her seat.

...

The group finally left Telma's Bar, and had just exited back into the alleyway before the front door.

"You do realize that you just attempted to dine and dash in front of the QUEEN, right?" Ashei asked, rolling her eyes.

Purlo bit his cheek. "I-I mean," he stuttered, "I wasn't... And anyway, I forgot who I was sitting with, alright? Zelda just kind of... blends in with everyone. It's like... hanging out with any regular person, and not necessarily the queen."

"There's one thing we can actually agree on," she muttered, starting up the steps leading back to South Castle Town. "I'd say we should all go back to the castle, but Impa'd probably beat you senseless if she knew who you were..."

"Impa?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as the rest of the group went on.

"She's Zelda's..." Ashei paused. "...Something. Anyway, I have some errands to run. Anyone who'd like to join me is welcome."

Zelda trailed behind the group as they walked out of the alley. Before she could get up the stairs, Purlo grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her around and waiting for the group to disappear behind the wall. She held her breath as he turned to her, pressing his hand up against the wall beside her.

"I did mean it when I said that you're not like most royals," he told her in a low voice, leaning in to speak with her. "You're actually real... someone that I can actually talk to."

She gave a half-smile. "Well... thank you. I appreciate it..."

Perhaps she'd misjudged him...

"And listen," he muttered, leaning in closer, "I picked up on the vibes you were throwing at lunch."

Zelda cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You know what; you were absolutely flirting with me."

Or perhaps she had judged him fairly.

"What?" she asked, knitting her brow.

"I've gotta say," he added, laughing, "flirting with another guy in front of your boyfriend is a pretty bold move. But I like that. I don't think he figured it out, though, so we should be fine..."

"I-I was just making small talk," she tried to clarify, speaking in a slower tone.

"Right. I'll admit it; I'm not a huge fan of your boyfriend. When I heard the news you two were dating, I was in shock. A pretty girl like you shouldn't go out with a guy who's always getting his hands dirty." Purlo grabbed onto one of her hands, intertwining his fingers with hers. He leaned in closer, and she nearly broke a sweat at his next words. "A beautiful girl deserves a charismatic, experienced guy, who actually knows what he's doing..."

Before he could bring himself any closer, Zelda pulled away from him, putting her hands up. "Look," she laughed nervously, "don't get the wrong idea. You're a handsome young man, and all, but..."

He grinned. "But what?"

"-But Link is my boyfriend," Zelda retorted, shaking her head. "I'm not interested in you. I love Link, and only Link... A-And Ilia is your girlfriend! How could you treat her like this?!"

"It's alright," he muttered, taking a few steps forward, "keep your voice down; she doesn't have to know about this... neither does Link; what, do you want to meet up somewhere more private, or...?"

"Back off, Pig!" she scoffed, taking another step back.

"I just-!"

"I told you that I'm not interested! You should thank the Goddesses that a sweet girl like Ilia even CONSIDERED dating an oaf like you!"

He grit his teeth. "Why are you giving me mixed messages? I thought that you wanted to-"

"I don't even know you!"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, you barely knew your boyfriend, either..."

Her eyes were practically lit on fire.

"You have no business comparing yourself to Link!" she barked, leaning into his face. "He's twice the man you'll ever be, you cheat! At least he's capable of making an honest living!"

"Come on," he practically begged her, leaning in, as well. "Just stop worrying about him..."

"Hey!" a voice interrupted from the top of the steps.

Purlo's blood ran cold as he heard footsteps from behind him, and his shoulder was grabbed by a strong hand. When he was turned around, he found himself staring into Link's livid eyes.

"...How much of that did you hear?"

"I heard enough of it, pervert!" he growled, shoving him up against the wall. "You'd better leave her alone!"

"Or what?"

"If I'm feeling forgiving, maybe I'll just slam your face against this brick wall. But that's no guarantee."

"Easy," he chuckled nervously, putting a hand to his head for protection. "You wouldn't do that in front of your girl, would you?"

"She could put you in prison for harassment!" he snapped, his eyes sharp like a beast.

Purlo furrowed his brow in thought. "Your eyes..." he muttered, reminded of something. "They're..."

"Link," Zelda spoke up sternly, walking to his side, "let him go."

"You can't let him get away with that, Zelda!"

"It was a misunderstanding," she insisted, shaking her head. "There is no just reason for me to throw him in prison, no matter how unbelievably rude his actions were."

"Zelda!" Link growled, clenching his fists. "You can't just let him treat you like that!"

"I'm not," she replied, her voice steady.

"You're letting him off easy! You're a queen; he can't talk to you like that!"

"I won't imprison someone for acting rudely, Link. I cannot allow bias to interfere with my politics..."

He grit his teeth, frustrated. "If you don't throw him in jail, then I'm gonna have to beat him to a pulp."

"You'll be doing no such thing," the young woman scolded him, folding her arms. "I trust that he won't speak to me in that manner again. If he does, then I am liable to charge him with harassment. But I'm an adult, Link, and I won't tattle on a hormone-filled young man because he does something that upsets me one time. Doing that would cause me to stoop to the level of some of the other royals whom I've met, and I've already promised myself to try my best to be a better leader than they are."

Link narrowed his eyes, glancing in disbelief between Purlo and Zelda. "You've got to be kidding me," he huffed out, his eyes aflame. "This... no, Zelda! I don't care what your responsibilities are; I'm sick of you letting people get away with treating you like this!"

She kept her gaze locked on his. "Listen, Link-"

"No!" he barked, stepping towards her. "I'm not budging this time, Zelda! He's a bad person, and he treated you horribly! How could you leave him be?! You always let people walk all over you because you think that what you've done for them doesn't amount to what they had to go through during the Invasion! But that's... th-that's ridiculous, Zelda! You want them to respect you? Why don't you take charge for once and show them that you matter?! Farore's sake- don't just let it happen, Zelda!"

A silence fell over them like a blanket as Purlo quickly glanced over at Zelda. Her gaze turned as cold as ice as she took a step back from them both. He saw her eyes flit up to the alley behind him, and he looked over his shoulder, where Shad, Ashei, and Ilia stood, spectating.

The queen clenched her jaw, not daring to look at Link as she quickly strode past him, not speaking as she left them all in silence.

Link exhaled through his nose, rubbing his forehead as he heard footsteps from behind him. He gazed down at the ground as the footsteps carried over towards Purlo until they came to a stop. After a short silence, Link looked up just in time to see Ashei's fist connecting with Purlo's face, and he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Ilia gasped, running past Shad and kneeling down to Purlo. Link stormed away from them, sighing deeply as he felt his heart sink with guilt.

"Is everything alright?" Shad asked, frowning as he turned to face Link.

The hero weaved his fingers through his bangs, shaking his head. "I...I-I don't know... I tried to do the right thing, but..."

The scholar lowered his gaze. "I'm sure you know that I'm not one to know the first thing about relationship counseling..."

"No... but you're a lot smarter than I am."

Shad frowned. "...You did what you had to, I believe. You're right, after all; she's too compassionate for her own good... If something only affects her and not her people, then she doesn't care to even discuss it. I'm afraid that she sometimes doesn't know where to draw the line."

Link looked up to the sky, where a few dark clouds had begun to surround. He shut his eyes. "I should go back to the castle. I was too hard on her..."

"Perhaps she requires a bit of space," Shad suggested, swallowing hard.

Link nodded, exhaling. "Yeah..." He started towards the town. "Maybe you're right. Thanks, Shad..."

With that, Link carried on to the castle, not bothering to talk to the guards as he went in.

...

Hours and hours went by as Link poured over the books in the castle library. They were mind-numbingly boring, mostly; it seemed that the Royal Family only carried interest in thick, tedious courses on the history of the kingdom. Occasionally he would come across a volume of books detailing the steel used in combat in past battles fought for Hyrule, which interested him more than anything. Still, he only stayed there until he finally could take no more of it, and he ended up grabbing his sword and sheath and heading out to the courtyard.

The rain drizzled down outside as he fought some imaginary battle against one of the military training dummies. Occasionally his hand would cramp up and he would switch to his right hand.

Anyone would be able to guess how well that went.

After dark, Link finally decided to call it a day, despite how unproductive it turned out to be, and he headed back inside.

A warm, torchlit glow filled the hallways as he went into the kitchen, where he found Impa reading through a dusty old cookbook. He leaned on the counter, peeking over her shoulder.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged. "Only if you're fascinated by potatoes and cucco..."

Impa glanced up at him, frowning. "Your hair's drenched. You didn't track any mud in, did you?"

He shook his head. "I was only out in the courtyard. The sun just didn't want to come out today..."

"Wait..." Impa started, looking back up at him. "You were in the courtyard?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah." Link chuckled. "Don't worry, I didn't break the dummy, again..."

A crease formed between her brows. "Zelda isn't with you?"

The grin quickly faded from his lips. "...N-No... I thought that she was up in her office..."

"I haven't seen her since this morning," Impa murmured, her expression blank.

His mouth went slightly agape. "I... where would she have...?"

"Was she acting any differently, the last time you saw her?" she asked, her tone full of concern.

He bit his lip. "We... I... Purlo, the STAR Game owner... he was hitting on her, so I tried to teach him a lesson... but she told me to leave it alone. And I just... I-I went off on her. I couldn't stand to watch her being treated like that. She didn't say anything... she just left. I thought that she was going back to the castle, but I never saw her..."

Impa buried her face into her hands. "Oh... where could she have gone?! It's not like her to run off without telling anybody..." She turned to Link. "Go ask the guards stationed outside if they've seen her anywhere. I'll ask around the castle..."

He nodded understandingly, wordlessly dashing out of the kitchen and through the foyer.

After he had exited the door, he turned to the guards of the castle for help.

"Have you seen Queen Zelda?" Link asked, trying not to panic.

They both shook their heads.

"Negative, Sir Link. Not since you left with her this morning..."

He bit his lip, nodding. "Thank you for your help, gentlemen."

Before he could leave, one of the guards stopped him.

"Would you like for us to call a search party for Her Majesty?"

Link exhaled through his nose. "Not just yet. Keep an eye out for her, though..."

He hurried off before they could answer...

...

After asking the guards around town if they'd seen Zelda, to no avail, Link began to grow desperate, and he hurried towards southeast Castle Town.

Hoping that he had gone to the right house, Link quickly rapped his knuckles against the door firmly, tapping his foot impatiently.

After a few seconds, a dressed-down Shad opened the door, looking surprised to see the young man.

"Link," he spoke up, clearing his throat as he ran his fingers through his own hair. "It's late, and the rain's pouring down..."

"It's important, Shad," he murmured, his eyes serious.

Understandingly, the scholar nodded, stepping out of the doorway. "Come in..."

Link briskly entered the house, walking into the main room where Ashei sat, curled up on the couch. She looked up at him, rubbing her eyes. "What're you doing here...?"

"Zelda's missing..." Link muttered, resting his forehead in his hands as he sat down beside Ashei.

She felt her arms drop to her sides. "What do you mean, she's missing?"

He laughed coldly. "I mean... I-I mean nobody's seen her for... hours. Last I saw her was when she stormed off. I thought that she'd just gone up to her office, like she always does, but..."

Shad gave him a blank stare, filled with disbelief. "You... asked the guards?"

He nodded. "All throughout town..."

"What about at the gates?" Ashei asked, sitting up taller.

Link sighed in frustration. "You think she could've left?"

"The Western Gate rarely has any guards stationed nearby," Shad chimed in, crossing his arms. "If she didn't want to be seen, then that would be the way to go..."

The young hero swore under his breath, burying his face into his hands. "Where... Wh-Where would she have gone?"

"Wherever you wouldn't expect to look for her..."

"Don't worry," Ashei spoke up, nodding curtly as she patted Link on the shoulder. "We can all split up and look for her... we'll just borrow a couple of horses from the castle and go and look for her. Just let us get dressed really quickly..."

Ashei nodded to Shad as she walked off towards the bedroom, and he scratched his head.

"It'll be okay..." he tried to assure him, nodding as he gazed at the floor. "We'll find her..."

Link looked at the wall in front of him, his blue eyes strained as he brushed his bangs out of his face. Weakly, he nodded, and Shad helped him up out of the chair.

It was going to be a dreary night.


End file.
